Ego Sum
by Rayezin
Summary: Romy. Takes place after the Trask Sentinels/SHIELD testing events. The mutants were rescued, the institute rebuilt, and the Ragin' Cajun has joined the X-Men - but can he be trusted? Can get a little angsty.
1. IMPORTANT: Read to avoid confusion!

**It's very important that you read this to prevent confusion!**  
  
Hey kids!  
  
This isn't exactly your conventional type of fan fiction. While written in prose and all the other standard stuff (dig my knowledge of technical vocab), this is actually an RP (role play) between me and my friend Rick. I, Raye, play Rogue and he takes on the role of Gambit. We thought you might get a kick out of reading it. Be warned, there is no set plot, it's sort of us meandering for some of it. There are major themes and a continuous story line, though, but may have one or many climaxes/etc.  
  
How it works with us is this: we trade off posting our character's thoughts, actions, feelings, in the narrative past tense (though Rick sometimes has trouble staying out of present tense - we forgive him). There are a few rules that we stick to when RPing - usually, one can't post the actions or reactions of someone else's character. In one fight scene you'll see Rogue "attempt" to swipe Gambit, but only he can post whether she is successful, and how much damage she causes. Why is she fighting him, you may ask? You'll just have to find out!  
  
Sometimes in scenes where there are more than just Rogue and Gambit, we switch off playing the other X Men/other characters, though they aren't the main characters. We can control these characters during our turn however we want - so long as I'm not speaking for Gambit, and Rick isn't deciding how Rogue reacts to someone else's actions.  
  
At times, especially in the beginning, the language may at times seem informal and even confusing. This was just between us, not really writing for an audience, know what I mean? And some of the random things may be inside jokes, but I promise they won't be anything important to the story.  
  
There also may be some OOCness. Rick's the big X Men guy, I've never read any of the comics, seen only a few episodes of the original cartoon, but I have seen most if not all of X Men Evolution, in which this fic is set. We apologize if we misinterpret characters, or tweak them for our own purposes.. We are the gods of our RP world, and if we're going to stick Magneto in a pink tutu and make him sing West Side Story, we're sure as hell gonna! *ahem*  
  
Format wise, I've separate mine and Rick's posts by skipping a line. I didn't want to italicize one, or anything, as I thought that might be a bit weird to read. In our messenger, in which we played, you can't italicize words by themselves, so stressed words may have **'s or - -'s around them, like this: I can't *stand* you! =)  
  
STORY BACKGROUND - *Need to read for plot setup* Now I don't know if WB has or is going to show what happens after Trask captures those people, and I know only what I do only from reading other people's fanfics. For our purposes, this is what happened:  
  
*Remy, along with Pyro and Colossus, was working for Trask, doing his "dirty deeds" involving the Sentinel project. What these deeds, how just how bad/evil they are, will be explored in the story.  
  
*Rogue, along with Spyke, Wolverine, and Blob were captured and subject to tests run by the secret govt agency SHIELD, intent on experimenting on captured mutants to make them into super killing machines. Nasty, innit?  
  
*During testing Rogue was forced to absorb at least one mutant named Carol Danvers, who now resides as a whole being in Rogue's mind, Carol's body being dead. For our purposes, she is NOT Ms. Marvel, and does not possess the same mutant powers. I've tweaked those. You may hate me because it's not being true to the Marvel/Rogue universe, but we think this will make it more fun. Besides, I'm not a big fan of the 'invulnerability' power. Bit too easy, I think. What those powers are will be revealed.  
  
*Rogue doesn't remember too much about the testing, as a fair amount of brainwashing is a part of the SHEILD project, but knows that Carol is in her mind, seemingly dormant. She has no knowledge of the new powers and appears not to have any.  
  
*The captured mutants were rescued by the remaining X Men. I don't know what really happens, but for our purposes (again), the testing facility was destroyed, the baddies beaten, and Trask MIA. The X Men rebuilt the institute and lived much as they did before, going to Bayville High and such. How is that possible, you ask, since the public was clued in as to their identities? I don't know - let's pretend that Xavier did the old mind eraser thing. Sorry. But the public does know that mutants are out there, and the Friends of Humanity are going strong.  
  
*Remy joined the institute not long after it was rebuilt. Xavier trusts him as do most of the students, but there are some who are still a bit untrusting because he worked for Trask - including Logan and Rogue.  
  
*Mystique and Magneto are still MIA from the Asteroid M episode, though the appearance Maggy made during the Angel episode stands.  
  
*Evan never joined the Morlocks. Sorry. It's not such an important thing anyway.  
  
I'm sorry, that was an awful lot to read. If there's anything about our particular X Men universe that you need clarification on, please feel free to e-mail me.  
  
One final note: Gambit's player Rick isn't a French student, so don't flay him if his little French quips and phrases are incorrect. Honestly, this isn't meant to display our mad language skills, it's added for spice. I've tried to correct as many errors as I could spot, but as long as you get the drift, no harm done right?  
  
Enjoy! 


	2. Chapter 1: Gambit

Chapter One: Gambit 

                Remy stood beneath a tree in the regal backyard of the rebuilt Xavier's Institute For Gifted Children, a card table opened, and several of the students sitting at it in lawn chairs as the trench-coated cajun dealt out another hand of black jack. He'd all ready taken nearly $50 from the kids, and he wasn't stopping now.

Across the yard walked Rogue and Kitty, exiting Scott's car.

                "Jooo voodray.. like, fareway?"

                Rogue groaned audibly at Kitty, who was reading from her French book. "Would ya quit that drawlin' before Ah claw my ears out?"

                Kitty gave an innocent, too-perky grin before looking past Rogue at the small group gathered under the tree. They walked over to observe the betting.

                Remy flips out the cards like an old pro, eyes always on the table. "Duece fo' da Iceman... Nine down da table... Ah, da beautiful Queen o' Hearts up next... And da Ace o' Clubs fo' Remy." He goes around, getting bets, hits and stands, that sort of thing. Of course, in the end, the only person left with any money was the charismatic man from the Big Easy. After only a few more hands of that the kids start to disperse, not wanting to lose any more money. Remy grabs one of the chairs and sits down, kicking his feet up on the table and crossing his ankles, counting his winnings.

                Rogue watched the proceedings with visible disgust, not sure who deserved the most scolding - Remy for taking the students' money, or the children for betting in the first place! Cradling her school books in her arms, she said to Kitty with an open look of contempt at Remy, "Ah thought Ah smelled somethin'."   

                Kitty was giving Remy her own trademarked scolding/pouting look.

                "How could you do that? Don't you know gambling's illegal??"

                He took his time, counting everything out before he paid them any attention. He lifted his head and examined each with his red eyes before he smiled brightly and stood, sliding the money into a pocket as he walked around the table, though he took a twenty in each hand as he did. He slid an arm around each girl and leaned in to talk with them. 

                "Such beautiful young flowa's as yo'selves must like ta buy pretty things fo yo'selves..." He flipped the twenties out and held one in front of each. "Now, why don' yo just waltz yo pretty little selves inside and jus' fo'get about dis, Cheri's?"

                Rogue hastily pushed his arm away, turning to face him, while Kitty gazed longingly at the twenty, before her conscience took over. "Like, no way! You totally can't bribe us. I think you should give those kids their money back right now, don't you agree Rogue?"

Rogue just stood there glowering at him. Her original anger at his gambling was tinged with a sudden panic - didn't he know what would happen if he got too close to her skin?

                "Ah think he'd do best to give it back. Don't think the Professor doesn't know, or at least won't find out.." Even if the spook wasn't 'watching', the chances that Rogue would tattle were slim.

                He chuckled softly, leaning a bit closer to Kitty, collecting both bills in one hand. "Now, Cheri, yo' friend ain' be very nice ta Remy, but he'll still give yo a chance ta think it ova', maybe a bit mo' money would help?" He leaned in, whispering softly in her ear in French, the trick that usually got them, though his eyes glanced toward Rogue as he did.

                Kitty, like the outrageously giddy girl she is, lifted a hand to her mouth as she giggled, more pleased at the intimate gesture than at the promise of more money. Rogue nearly gaped at the display - who did he think he was? First bribery, then petty flirting with a girl who was more than a prime target. With a bit of an annoyed growl, Rogue grabbed Kitty's (clothed) upper arm and jerked her unceremoniously away from Remy.

                "It's time ta go, Kitty. Let the swamp rat keep his money." 

                Kitty blinked at Remy as if snapped out of a trance, but then remembered why she was mad at him in the first place. "Right." 

                With that, Rogue led Kitty back towards the dorms, though she suddenly wondered what was worse - putting up with Remy's crap or listening to Kitty practice her French.

                He smiled and started folding up the table. They wouldn't be trouble, it was an easy thing to figure out. After living on the street long enough you learned how to read people...

                                                                                                * * *

                Later that night, as the students gather in the dining room, Remy already finished his meal, standing and walking out, cards in hand, flying the deck from one hand to another as if it were on a string, leaving his seat for someone who still needed it for food. He entered the common room, pulling off his trench coat, the black sleeveless shirt, a few strands from where the sleeves had been torn off, and blue jeans coming out from beneath as he sat and turned on the TV, still fiddling with his cards.

                The handful of kids that were in the living room already didn't offer him any sort of greeting - they were still bitter from losing their money. Evan, who was not there to gamble, was the only one who looked up while channel surfing. He nodded.

                "Hey man. Heard you smoked Iceman today at black jack." He grinned. "Nice."

                He grinned like a child and shrugged. "Da cahds and I have a little undastandin'... I neva' lose." He quickly shuffles the cards and slides them out in a line of the coffee table, then picks on, seemingly and random, and rather than just turning it over he gives a flick of his wrist, sending the card whirling up in the air. As it hits its peak it is very clear the card is the Ace of Spades, then it drifts down into Remy's outstretched hand. "Neva'."

                Rogue started down the stairs, not really intent on eating - she wasn't very hungry - but looking forward to taking her usual spot on the couch to observe the other students. Everyone knew she wasn't one to socialize, but she liked to people watch, sort of like a cautious feline who watches a group but never comes over. As she walked into the living room she stopped short at the sight of that Cajun idiot playing with his cards. About face. Rogue turned to head into the kitchen instead before almost colliding with Scott. 

                "Oh, hey Rogue. Sorry, I almost ran into you there."

                Hastily Rogue looked at the floor, and might have blushed if not for all her goth makeup. She had reminded herself over and over that she was way over Scott, but it was still odd and uncomfortable being around him.

                "Hi.."

                Remy looked back and caught sight of Rogue, as did most of the room, though the others just went back to what they were doing. This wasn't really anything new to them. Gossip always spread like wildfire through high schools. Remy nudged Evan with an elbow as he turned back around. "Would yo' be so kind as ta fill meh in as ta who da black an' white beauty is, mon petit ami?"

                Evan glanced back again and shrugs. 

                "That's Rogue... she doesn't talk much. Real gothy and scary, that type... She has a crush on Scott, or at least did. The grapevine is still recovering from having the institute demolished. I'm sure everyone will know in just a few days." He grinned and went back to the ESPN broadcast on the TV, a BMX street competition. Remy stood and walked around the couch, leaving his coat where he had been sitting just so no one else would wander in and sit down while he was... busy. He leaned against the back of the couch and peeled a card off the top of his deck, charged it slightly, not enough to hurt, before he flicked it at Rogue's behind, watching with a devious grin as it detonates. Pretty much the equivalent of getting slapped on the ass, but still enough to make her jump.

                As Scott sort of stood there looking a bit dumbfounded at Rogue's random shyness, the card flew, and Rogue's ass was essentially slapped. The surprise made her jump forward, sending her into Scott who carefully caught her by the shoulders. She would have blushed if she wasn't so afraid for his life. She pulled herself away from him quickly while turning to glare at Remy.

                "What the hell, swamp rat?!"

                Scott, being the fatherly figure, responsible leader, Abercrombie model type, looked at Remy disapprovingly. He was still pretty clueless as to Rogue's crush, but disliked people teasing her anyway - he knew how hard it was for her to assimilate, though he could never truly understand. He used Remy's codename to further emphasize his leadership standing.

                "Gambit, you know the rules about using pyrotechnics indoors."

Rogue, on the other hand, was already itching to fight, crossing the room to reach for Remy's deck.

                "Let's see how cocky ya are without your damn cards!"

                He shrugged and dropped the cards in his pockets, looking towards Cyclops. 

                "Ah, it is no pyrotechnic, mon dirigeant, no fire at all. Jus' a little snap. Like dis little fiyacrackah right heye." He smiled at Rogue, watching her approach, and not making a move to defend himself or pulling his cards back out, but still looking like the most confident bastard in the world.

                Rogue stopped stalking towards him at that comment, and without her former target in sight. Scott looked into the kitchen where Jean was, and looked back to Remy with a shrug before leaving. 

                "I was telling you for your own safety.. Don't blame me when she has you unconscious on the floor." 

                Scott meant it as a joke - to show how easily Rogue was able to take him down. A compliment, really. But the fact behind it still made Rogue flinch. As if she needed to be reminded?! Still, with that cocky grin sending her into a rage, it wasn't beginning to sound like a bad idea after all.

                He watched her stop and chuckled softly. 

                "Lose ya steam, Cheri?" He pushed off from the couch and closed the distance between them, grin softened to a smile and he looked down at the girl, not much younger than him, really, and there was something in her eyes that set her apart from the others. She wasn't naive, wouldn't fall for his tricks as easily. Oh well. He let his voice quiet a bit, to keep the conversation between them. 

                "No hahd feelin's, right Cheri? Jus' havin' a bit o' fun, hope Ah didn' leave any marks on that cute little bottom of yours." His grin returned, charm and charisma showing through despite the somewhat sexist attitude.

                Rogue was caught short at the sudden lack of distance. The team had had a few weeks to familiarize themselves with He-Who-Was-Remy. Sure, he was a gambling, sexist pig who was a nonstop flirt. But the one thing Rogue still found herself starting at was his eyes. And who wouldn't? They were black and red. Besides, it's not like she ever had a chance to get used to staring into them, right?

                Remy's remark about her butt, though, snapped her out of her train of thought as another disgusted snarl seized her features. Words couldn't have put it better, and without them, Rogue shoved Remy full force (not much, but hey, she's not some scrawny kid like Kitty) towards the back of the couch. 

                Remy stumbled back and chuckled as he assumed his leaning-against-the-couch position again with a shrug. 

                "Come now, cher, Remy ain' dat bad, now is he?"He sighed and frowned, looking for the world like a hurt puppy with demonic eyes. "Why, it's almost like ya don' care fo' ol' Remy..."

                The other kids in the room glanced up as Remy stumbled back, snickering. Rightly that he should get his payback for cheating them out of their money. 

                "Suck him dry, Rogue!" The first comment from Scott, meant as a compliment, she could shrug off, but this second one seemed to hurt just the same, if not more. She looked at the kids with a surge of annoyance. Sorry, Iceman, for not having the power to freeze people, or to impale people like Spyke, or use telekinesis like Jean. Her power sucked (no pun intended), and she didn't need reminding - not to mention her little social hindrance. She spun on her heel first walking towards the kitchen, stopping when she saw Scott and Jean. With an audible groan she turned again into the hallway. Maybe she could give Logan a run for his money.

                Remy shook his head. "Now, yo' petit ones jus' don' know how ta behave like a proper gentleman should." He grinned as the others laughed and grabbed his coat, heading for the front door, deciding to catch a bit of lone training outside.


	3. Chapter 2: A Little Water Never Hurt Any...

Chapter 2: A Little Water Never Hurt Anybody

                *Blaow blaow!* If fighting Logan by himself wasn't enough, the old man had turned on the danger room level three gauntlets. Laser guns protruding from the walls fired at the two warriors randomly, creating a blast similar to Scott's kinetic beams. It wouldnt burn, but it felt like a hella punch. Rogue dodged Wolverine's fist - he fought without claws - narrowly missing a beam in the process. She was quite light on her feet. One could argue she was the most skilled fighter of the X-Men - her powers couldn't save her, so she was forced to learn hand to hand to defeat her enemies, and agility to evade them. Logan took a step back as she started to fight him closer to the laser guns.

                "Jeez, Stripes.. *dodge* Someone musta really ticked you off.. *kick* Haven't been able to stay standing this long in a while!" Behind the compliment, Logan was genuinely concerned. It was easy enough to see the kid was having a bad day - judging by her fighting prowess, she was pissed the hell off. He'd always felt more protective of her than the other students, but didn't pity her for her condition. He knew the last thing she wanted was pity. Still, if anyone hurt her, he would introduce them to a pair of adamantine claws.

                Remy dropped his coat and cards next to him and scooped up a hand full of rocks in his left hand. He dropped one into his right and gave it a little charge before winging it at a stone wall, then watched it explode like an M-80 with a bright flash. He continued doing this, aiming at different points, to work on his accuracy.

                "It's nothin', that Cajun jerk was just annoyin'..." Yea, the jerk. She was half tempted to tell on him, and tell Logan about the money he'd taken. Then he'd be handing it back to the kids at the point of Wolverine's claws. The thought of the swamp rat with adamanTIUM at his throat, frightening, and minus one hell of an annoying smirk... Suddenly the world did a belly flop, and Rogue was on her back with a grunt. Wolverine looked down at her with an amused half-grin. 

                "Get distracted, Stripes?" 

                Ah yes, the Cajun.. he'd had his eye on the bow the first week or so that he'd been here, convinced that he could be nothing but trouble. But Chuck seemed to trust him well enough, and that was enough for Logan, almost.. He'd watch as the kid would sweet talk his way through any and every thing.. And those demon eyes... The fact that he was messing with Rogue wasn't helping the Cajun's case with Logan. 

                "Wouldn't want me to put him in his place, would ya?"  Rogue got to her feet, the danger room program shutting down. First one down, she'd lost. Beat her old time, though, as the computer voice informed them. 

                "Nah, Ah can handle him mahself, Logan. Boy just needs a reality check is all.."

Rogue unzipped the neck of her body suit as she headed back to her room.

                Remy is still just standing out by his wall, chucking exploding rocks at it, moving around a bit and seeming more aggressive with it now, a thin sheen of sweat covering the muscles that hard living had given him.

                Rogue emerged from the shower. A training session with Logan was enough to make anyone break out into a major sweat. Her face was devoid of makeup and she wore only her nightgown - a sleeveless number, white. She shared her room with Kitty, but chose not to don her robe and gloves as she was downstairs with the other students. When she was sure it was safe, Rogue liked not having so much covering.. it was almost suffocating at times. 

                Rogue sat towel drying her hair when she heard the small explosions outside. Rising to walk to the balcony, she half expected it to be the Brotherhood playing pranks, but sure enough it was the bane of her existence - Remy LeBeau. God knows when he became so annoying... Oh yea, when he handed her an exploding card. She opened her mouth to reprimand him about wrecking school property, but knew that he wouldn't stop pestering her after that.. Jerk. 

                She turned to walk back inside before she found she couldn't take her eyes off him. She studied the way the little projectiles glowed before they were smashed into the side of the wall. Not to mention the speed and grace, and the fine outline of the person throwing them, but who was really thinking about that?

                His pace had grown to a dash and he moved with amazing dexterity, changing directions on a dime, able to drop, roll, then go straight back to running and casting another explosive rock at the wall. He seemed to have quite a bit of practice even though it wasn't his cards that were being thrown. 

                Finally he stopped, wiped the sweat from his brow, and took a seat on the grass before flopping back and staring up at the night sky, the stars twinkling in the clear New England sky, the half moon providing a soft illumination while not completely revealing the soft, beautiful shapes of nature all around, with the exception of the mansion, of course. He smiled softly as the soft buzzing insects reminded him of the bayou and he got lost in his own little world, oblivious as Rogue watched him.

                Rogue paused as she watched him for a few moments after that before Kitty barged in, whispering hastily.

                "Rogue, you gotta come with us! Bobby and Jamie are going outside to like, play a prank on Remy! You know you totally want in!"

                Rogue walked inside the room, shrugging on a long sleeved sweater, keeping it unbuttoned. Sure, the idea of the Cajun being pranked was a brilliant idea.. but could she

stand to get within ten yards of him? If it meant humiliation for him, then yes. Besides, it was about time he got his comeuppance. She slipped on her gloves and followed Kitty out the door with Jamie and Bobby.

                The four students crept outside unseen, towards where Remy lay reminiscing.. or however it's spelt. Bobby held up his squirt gun, roughly the size of a plastic M16. With a grin he applied a bit of frost, making sure the water would be nice and cold. Jamie carried five smaller versions - a bit more than he could handle. Kitty took one of these and some of the proffered water balloons. Rogue received her own pistol and balloons. Oh joy. Silently the group got within range and opened fire. A flurry of streams and water balloons aimed right for the resting Cajun.

                Remy sprung to his feet as the water hit him. Out of instinct he chucked the rest of the rocks from his hand, all charged to a point as to daze the target, the multiple projectiles headed for the four kids as the Cajun stumbled back and fell against the wall and shook his head as he blinked wildly.

                The kids were startled by the charged rocks, darting into different directions with a chorus of yelps and shrieks. Multiple divided into four - one gun for each - and moved to surround Remy while firing. Kitty had fallen back on her rear, one hand in front of her eyes. Rogue had also joined her on the ground before rolling to the side as well as a person in a nightgown could, momentarily dazed. Bobby created one of his cool ice slides for no reason and began to fire cold water at Remy from his new vantage point.

                Once Remy figured out what was going on he frowned and looked quite angry, delivering a vicious backhand to one of the Jamies and pushing past. 

                "Are yo' boys crazy!?" He grabbed another rock from the ground and nailed the ice slide, the charge on this one enough to break it apart and bring Iceman down to earth. "I could 'ave keeled all of yo'!" 

                He grabbed Bobby by the collar of his shirt and pulled him up to a sitting position. "Now, neva', eva' sneak up on ol' Remy again, ya hea'? He don' wan' ta seriously hurt any o' ya little ones. I can' no be held responsible if ya keep up this kinna thin." 

He shakes his head and lets the boy go as he heads for Kitty and Rogue. 

                "Are yo' two all righ'?" He kneels by them, inspecting both of the girls and offering a hand to each. "Come on, den, Remy'll help ya out."

                The smacked Jamie bounced back into the original, as did the others, stumbling back a bit with his water guns falling around him. Meanwhile Kitty looked up at Remy, taking his proffered hand and standing up. 

                "I'm okay. Just, like, a little woozy or whatever." 

                Rogue stayed on the ground, unsure of what just happened. Sure, the water in Bobby's squirt gun was pretty cold, but the only other person she'd figure would react so violently was Logan. And Logan was in a war - he was trained to be all.. shifty. Remy's outburst, for the smooth, cool, collected guy he was, surprised her. She was about to take his hand before a low growl resounded behind them. 

                "Stripes, I thought you'd know better. None of you kids are allowed out after nine, or do ya need remindin'?" Ever since the attack on the institution, and the growing number of mutie haters in the town, they'd tightened their curfew rules. Logan was their most avid enforcer, being the all around paranoid guy that he was. "All of you inside, now." With that, he turned to stalk back inside. 

                Jamie whined, "Way to go, Bobby!" Bobby looked incredulous. 

                "Me?!"

                Remy grinned and just shook his head, grabbing Rogue by the waist and just lifting her to her feet, not touching her bare skin, though he doesn't seem to be very careful about it, either. 

                "Allumer comme une plume... Dere yo' are, ma cher. Jus' anotha ting for yo' ta hold against Remy, righ'?" He smiled at her as Jamie and Bobby headed for their dorms, hitting each other periodically while Kitty waited for Rogue like a good girlfriend would.

                Rogue pushed herself away.

                "Do ya mind?!" She joined Kitty's side. "Well Ah don't see why it wouldn't be your fault.. It was your gamblin' that started it. Now we'll all have to make up for it." 

                If any other teacher had caught them, most likely they would have been grounded or put in detention. But Logan, he took his punishment out in the Danger Room.


	4. Chapter 3: The Danger Room

Chapter 3: The Danger Room

                In the Danger Room the next morning - though it was still dark out - Logan waited with his arms folded. If one looked closely enough they might have detected the faintest of smirks... The bastard probably enjoyed it. Iceman and Multiple, along with Kitty, wandered in half dead, rubbing the sleep from their eyes. Kitty grumbled.

                "You're like, so dead for this, Bobby."

                "It was Jamie's idea!"

                "RIGHT! Quit yer yappin' 'fore I quit it for ya. Where are Stripes and the Cajun?"

                On her cue, Rogue wandered in, fastening the clasp on the back of her body suit. She didn't have time to put on makeup, and she was just as tired as the rest. 

                "Ah'm sorry.."

                Remy entered last, and he didn't look tired at all. In fact it was hard to say if he'd ever gone to sleep. He had his trenchcoat back on and was carrying what looked like a foot-long pipe of sorts. He turns his horizontal and bam, each end telescopes out until the pole is about six feet long and he rests the butt on the ground, leaning against it. 

                "All righ', mistah teachah, le's get dis pahty stahted. Da ragin' Cajun is ready ta kick some simulated be-hind."

                Logan smiled grimly. That couldn't be a good sign. 

                "Well since yer friend the Cajun seems so confident, kids, I think we can try out level five this morning.. Mind the robotic arms." The faces of the students deadpanned... not like they could argue, though. Logan gave a pointed look at Remy. "I'll be waitin' fer ya at the end, bub."               Logan stalked away, and the program started to boot up, the students suddenly isolated in the steel walls that placed them like mice in a maze. 

                Rogue, meanwhile, was fuming. She couldn't even beat level three, and now look.. Not like she had any powers to help her, either! 

                "Ah hate you, swamp rat..."

                Remy just grinned and blew a kiss at Rogue. 

                "Don' yo' worry none, ma petite pêche, Remy ain' afraid o' no little maze." With that he dashes off down the only viable path at the moment, jumping and doing a midair somersault as one of the robotic arms came swinging for him. As he hits the T intersection he slams his pole into the ground and vaults up, landing with ease atop the wall... only to be hit by a laser and knocked off, though he was able to take out the cannon with a charged card before he landed with a heavy thump and a grunt on his back.

                Rogue couldn't help but smirk.

                "Too bad, swamp rat."

                With that she and the others sped past him. The first obstacle seemed simple enough.. a series of walls that sprung up before them. Kitty phased through them at a run. Iceman did his ice slide bullshit and went over them, using an ice shield to block and lasers. Multiple multiplied and like.. helped himselves over. Rogue approached it confidently enough, despite her lack of useful powers, and ran at the wall full speed. She pushed up with one leg and grabbed the top, pulling herself up with more agility than strength. The quicker, the easier. A laser fired only to hit air as she rolled off to the other side.

                Remy shakes his head and repeats the vaulting process, not pausing at the top this time, and continues over the walls... only to be stopped dead after the last, in what looked for all the world like a hall of mirrors. There was a roof this time, though, and Kitty couldn't phase through them. What was Danger Room training without making them think on their feet? Remy pulled out a card and charged 

it before throwing it at one of the mirrors, the explosion having no effect. With a sigh he just continued forward at a jog, feeling his way through and trying to figure out the strange winding path.

                Rogue kept running forward, nearly running into a clear glass plate. The mirrors now mixed in with clear panels. She felt her way along with one palm on the wall, looking behind her. She felt the need to keep ahead of Gambit - damned if she was going to let that swamp rat beat her. With that thought in mind, she increased her pace. 

                Despite her efforts the ragin' Cajun comes darting around the corner behind her... soon followed by Bobby and Jamie, Kitty all ready in the lead thanks to her ease with the first part. All three looked slightly panicked, and it was obvious why as a huge robot slammed shoulder first into the wall then started barreling down the corridor they were in. 

                "Go, girl, go! Run like de wind!" Remy shouted after Rogue as Bobby created an ice wall that slowed the robot down about five seconds, after which it busted through the ice and came right back after them.

                Rogue whirled and stopped dead in her tracks to see the charging robot. Only Wolverine would think up something like that! Darting forward again, she called out to Shadowcat.

                "Kitty!"

                Kitty stopped to see the giant robot heading for Rogue, who had already slowed down a bit to be in some amount of danger.. but she knew the plan. Kitty rushed forward, phasing through any of the other mutants in her way and reached out to grab Rogue's hand. Together, they phased out and let the robot pass through them. Circuits fried and the robot shut down, though it still kept a constant pace down the corridor as it slid.

                Remy just kept going even as he ran through the phased girls, taking the final turn out of the mirror maze, only to find himself, and the others who followed thanks to Bobby freezing the sliding robot and helping Jamie ride it with him, in an open arena area. Kitty and Rogue would soon follow, of course, which is when panels in the wall open and the black flying drones, armed with lasers and shock

missiles, were unleashed into the air. Remy blinked, but the Iceman was not so stunned and took out the first four from one of the openings, as well as the opening itself, with a blast of ice.

                Rogue paused for half a moment as she surveyed the obstacle. A laser fired at her cut her thinking time short, however, and she darted forward. A shock missile launched itself at Kitty, who let it phase through her. Meanwhile Rogue ran.. and ran.. and ran. Crap powers and no weapons left her to rely on the other mutants for help, this round at least.

                Gambit finally recovered and slipped out three cards, fanned them while holding them between his thumb and forefinger, charged them, then flung them in an arch, two hitting targets and taking down the robots while the third misses and explodes against a wall. He starts spinning his pole with his other hand, then holds it over his head as he runs for a small group of the robots. He slams the end of the pole into the ground and swung horizontal, nailing one bot with a kick that sent it whirling into a wall, only to fizzle and fall to the floor. Remy, meanwhile, charged his pole and swung it, taking out another two bots in an explosive mess. He got quite a surprise when one of the shock missiles hit in him the back, making him convulse for a few moments.

                Rogue stopped, tired of running. She looked up. Only a handful remained. The Cajun was on the ground, she noted with a brief moment of amusement and satisfaction, till she saw a pair of drones circling in on him - just waiting til he got back up. 

                "Iceman!"

                Gesturing to Bobby, Rogue ran at Gambit and up a fresh ice path. Then she jumped. Just, jumped. Weee. And landed on the 'back' of one of the drones. The other drone swerved from Remy to her and took aim, while the drone she was on started firing randomly. She grabbed the gun and forced it up, causing it to hit the other drone. It fell, just as the tazer on Rogue's drone kicked in. It sent a charge through her body, inevitably sending her to the steel floor.

                Remy regained control and shook himself off a bit before grabbing Rogue and throwing her over his shoulder as he slams one of the drones with his staff, sending it into another drone, both crashing to the floor. Kitty finally grabs the last bot and phases her hand into it, frying the circuits just like the other bot. A door opens and Remy approaches, setting Rogue down before going through, unsure of what would come next. 

                "Lady's first, Cheri..."

                By then Rogue still hadn't regained her composure from the shock, involuntarily grabbing onto Remy's arm for support after he set her on her feet - an odd gesture for her. Then she remembered what was going on, and exactly who she was with. She pulled her hand away, checked to make sure the others were ready, and set out into the next room, all without a word to Remy. The next room was pitch black and there was a steady thrumming noise. A sharp metallic sound reverberated through the chamber, then faded. Then another, then another, steadily getting closer.

                Gambit blinked again, once more dumbfounded, before he pulled out a chard and charged it up. The card glowed brightly as he threw it at the ceiling, the explosion dimly illuminating a bit of the room, though not nearly all of it. Seeing the spikes didn't exactly help his situation so he just started to walk slowly forward...

                Rogue saw the spikes vaguely in the dim light. No use staying in one spot, it's harder to hit a moving target. Recklessly Rogue dashed forward, running at full speed. Faintly she could feel the ground near her vibrate before a spike sprung up, not before she darted away. In the other parts of the room she could hear the other kids avoiding the spikes, then the chilling scream of Shadowcat, which made Rogue stop in her tracks.

                "Kitty?! Kitty! Are ya alright!"

                No response. What if she had been hurt? They were in level 5 for god's sake, and if they died, it was the Cajun's fault! She heard the muffled cry of the Jamies then, and then silence. Rogue closed her eyes again and ran forward.

                Gambit stopped as he saw a figure step from one of the spikes ahead of him. Then a gruff voice whispered to him through the darkness ahead. 

                "Hey there, bub, me and you need to have a little talk." The short, wide-shouldered silhouette moves toward Remy, who backs away instinctively, holding the staff in front of him. "Now, friend, you need to lay off pickin' on Rogue. If not, I'll be finding you outside the Danger Room." 

                Snikt, snikt. Remy knew what that sound meant, every student in the school did. Wolverine's claws. The Cajun dived out of the way as one of the living weapon's feet flies toward his head. Without really being able to see Remy catches his pole up under Wolverine's ankle and sends him sprawling back, only to dash into the darkness. Wolverine was about to chase after him when he picked up a very familiar scent even closer and sheathed his claws before he headed in Rogue's direction, down low, sniffing as he ran.

                Rogue paused in her running to more easily hear the spikes. As she moved to dodge she bumped into someone, who wasn't too friendly about it as they pushed her away. Rogue bristled.

                "Is that you, swamp rat?!" She then went at him with a running kick, easily knocked aside, by her opponent. The *snikt* sound gave him away. "Oh.. man." 

                She could almost feel the swipe he made at her head.. He wouldn't actually hit her if given the opportunity, but he sure liked cutting it close. Logan didn't go easy on her, either, as they fought. His conversation with the Cajun reinforced his desire for Rogue to be able to handle herself against anyone, no matter their powers. But there would never come a day where he'd decide to stop protecting her.

                Remy had, meanwhile, reached the other side of the room and frantically searched the wall for a way out. Then he heard the sounds of a fight and migrated to it. He saw the same figure as it fought another, a smaller one. Rogue. Remy sneered and tried to sweep his pole to knock the other man over, only to see the figure of the trained killer jump and swing a foot back, nailing Gambit in the chest. He stumbled back and leaned against one of the spikes as an unclawed fist slams into his gut. Logan got quite the surprise, though, when a glowing object leapt up between them, and he grabbed it, only to feel the card tear apart with the biokinetic energy contained inside, the explosion blowing him back and leaving Remy with ringing ears.

                Just in time, too. Rogue's muscles ached from the punishment, and her lungs were barely receiving enough oxygen to keep her fighting. She stumbled to one side when Wolverine left to fight another, and she didn't have to wait long to figure out who it was. A small explosion ripped between the two, and Rogue was left to look down at Logan - on his back. The Danger Room lit up as the session ended. For a moment, Rogue was concerned for Wolverine's health.

                "Logan?"

                Remy shielded his eyes as the lights came on. Black, bright, black, bright, it was giving him a headache. His ears still rung too, and he wiggled a finger into one of his ears and shook his head a bit, eyes squinted against the lights. He closes his pole back up and shakes his head again while Logan gets to his feet, gently pushing Rogue away. 

                "That was one hell of a trick, bub." Remy smiled at that, his eyes finally adjusting. "Well, ya don' survive bein' Remy long wit'out learnin' yo'self a ting or two."

                Gradually, the other students wandered over in various states of dishevelment. Kitty groaned, pony tail down and body suit torn in a few places. "Can we please go now, Mr Logan?" 

                Bobby offered his two cents; "We're hurting, man. We finished the level."

                Logan looked at the kids carefully and nodded.

                "You earned it, now go clean yourselves up. Just don't let me catch you out at night anymore." Battered in body and ego, Logan too walked away, with a keen glare at Remy as he went. "Just don't forget what I said, bub."


	5. Chapter 4: Grand Theft Auto

Chapter 4: Grand Theft Auto

                Remy walked out of his last class of the day, looking quite agitated. Xavier had finally talked him into taking part in the actual school since, despite his age, he'd never even set foot in a school. He could read and write and do basic math... but everything else he'd learned had been about stealing and conning people. 

                He was wearing a t-shirt and some black pants, actually making an effort to look 'nice', at least compared to his usual dirty, worn clothes. It had been horrible, of course, kids two, even three years younger than him in some cases were doing better than him in the class. It was almost embarrassing... at least if he actually cared. Remy knew he all ready had the skills he needed to survive.

                Rogue wandered the halls, considering whether or not she'd meet Kitty outside her French class. Ever since Risty was revealed to by Mystique - hurtful in more ways than one - she'd been left spending her school hours alone, minus occasionally walking the halls with one of the X kids. They were her closest friends, but having Risty, someone normal, allowed her to forget about her powers and their ramifications. And feel, well, normal.  Oh well, back to the loner goth scene. Deciding to skip her daily dose of Kitty's verbal slaughter of the French language, Rogue wandered outside to wait for Scott's car.

                Remy had all ready reached the parking lot and was in the midst of requisitioning a ride. A sleek black car, newly purchased by one of the teachers. They always seemed able to afford nice cars, yet complained about how they never made enough money. Oh well. The door was all ready open and Remy's legs where hanging out as he laid on the floor of the car on his back, prying open the steering column to get at the ignition. Finally the plastic shell popped off, revealing the mess of wires. He pulled a switchblade from his pocket, quickly slicing two of the wires, hardly even looking at them. He'd done this enough before he didn't really need to. Now it was just a matter of getting the thing started.

                Rogue glanced at her watch. Scott should be out by now, she knew he didn't have any afternoon classes. Probably went off somewhere with Jean, she thought bitterly. But Jean had been nothing but sweet to her - to EVERYONE - so what right had she to be upset? None. It's over, finished. Moving along.. Rogue quickly scanned the parking lot to see if Scott's car was still there. No such luck, but she did note that Ms Richard's new car door was open, and was in fact teaching Kitty's French class this very moment...

                A short walk over revealed something that shouldn't have surprised her - the swamp rat, hot wiring it. Quietly she approached and leaned against the edge of the open door.

                "Ah thought the purpose of goin' to school was ta learn, not ta steal teachers' cars."

                There was a spark and the engine rumbled to life. Gambit slid out and stood, grinning at her. 

                "Ain' Remy's fault none if dese yankees don' know how ta take care o' deir propaty. Besides, Remy all ready done wit his classes today, he goin' fo' a little joy ride..." He was about to slide into the car before he hesitated and looked at her, thinking for a moment. "Yo' wanna come along, Cheri? Yo' all 

ready an accessory to da crime, unless ya go an' report ol' Remy, so it won' hurt none... An' we ain' gonna get caught, neither..."

                Rogue paused as she thought about it. Normally the idea of going anywhere with the swamp rat, in a stolen car no less, would have been absurd, but when weighed against the alternative.. Sitting outside for a good hour waiting for Scott, only to be force to sit in the back with a drawling Kitty and Scott and Jean talking about football or some other team spirit rally. Still.. It was a toss up. She needed just one reason, ONE to go with Remy. 

                "Ah don't know what's worse.. Ridin' home with Scott or with a swamp rat in a stol'n car."

                His grin changed to a charming smile and he leaned forward a bit, looking right into her eyes, his own red ones shining with the excitement of the auto heist. His voice quieted a bit too, thickening like honey, and just as sweet. 

                "Aw, come on, p'tite, Remy ain' so bad... He sho' nuff been nice-ah ta yo', ain' he? Remy been tryin' ta be good, cher, he promise... Jus' give him a chance."

                By the time Remy had finished talking, Rogue found that she had stopped breathing. When did the jerk learn to be so convincing? Oh yea, when he became a con artist. Still, there was her reason.. time to go.. yep. She still hadn't moved - he was looking at her. Blinking rapidly she threw one arm up, walking away from him and around to the passenger side. 

                "Fahne, but if someone catches us, Ah'm just gonna tell them ya kidnapped me." And with that blustered speech, she opened the other door and slid in.

                Remy just grins and slides in as well, pulling his door closed and slamming the car into reverse. He tore back, whipped the wheel around to avoid hitting the cars behind them, then shifted to drive and blew out of the parking lot. Once they were on an actual road Remy drove for the shore... not much of a drive, really. He seemed to know where he was headed, and didn't seem like he would accept other directions, at least not yet. He didn't drive at speeds conductive to not being pulled over, but with no cops in sight, he didn't really have much of a point to. 

                "So, Cheri, why yo' always gotta be so mean ta Remy? He happen ta like da sou'ern belles. Yo' ain' still angry 'bout dat one li'l cahd, is ya Cheri?"

                "Two cahds, if Ah remember correctly." The card slap to the ass didn't help his case. "Besahdes, it was a *battle*. Ya know, where people kill each other? You were working for Trask."

                His affiliation with that maniac was two strikes against him. Rogue still have vivid dreams of the days she and the others spent in captivity, and in unguarded moments she could almost hear the voices of the few people she'd been forced to absorb.. Though they seemed to be sitting in the back of her mind in a glowering silence. Remy was a part of the team now, but she needed someone tangible to blame, perhaps.

                He shoved the wheel to the side and the car slid, skidded sideways as he let off the gas, only to resume course when he hit the gas again and they rocketed off down the road. 

                "Dat one yestahday was jus' playin', p'tit... An' don' Remy desave a second chance jus' like da rest?" Another turn took them into a dirt parking lot and Remy sent the car sideways. He turned the car off as he reclined the chair a bit and looked out on the sparkling view of the ocean that was laid out before them now. 

                "Ahh, dat's much bettah dan da city view, ain' it?"

                What part of that couldn't he get through his skull? Rogue looked at him bitterly before turning her gaze to the ocean. She herself had lived by the river when she was young, but she enjoyed the sea just as much. She remembered the day she, Kitty, Evan and Kurt had taken a Rogue trip to the beach when Scott had left to find his brother - the same day Magneto captured her and others, and took them to Asteroid M. Rogue shook her head from that train of thought. Why did everything hold a bad memory for her? Hard to avoid when your entire existence is someone else's nightmare. Time to change the subject.. 

                "How long has it been since you've gone ta school?"

                Remy blushed, something he hadn't been seen to do so far, by anyone, at least among the X-group. He looked to the side a bit and shrugged. 

                "Well, nevah exactly wen' ta schoo'... Jus' one o' da hazahds o' livin' on da street, Cheri." He looked back at her with a slightly shakey smile and shrugged again. "Really, could live wit'out it still... dose kids is all ready sma'tah den Remy, all dose classes be teachin' him is dat he no' as smaht as de priv'ledged yankees."

                Remy was actually embarrassed, and a bit flustered at that.. Any other day she would have taken pleasure in seeing the Cajun so out of his rhythm, but she felt sorry. Naturally she had no idea about his life, but it was easy to guess that it hadn't been the easiest life a kid could have had. Even some of the least well off parents sent their kids to school - it was basically free, and the law. 

                But she wasn't about to pry that deep. What did she care, right? 

                "Well Ah mean, it's not that you're not as smart.. You just learned different things is all." Thinking on that last bit, she tried to turn the half compliment/comfort into a matter of fact. "Unless yer a part of the Bayville system ta begin with, it's hard to figure out." Smooth, real smooth.

                He chuckled a bit and shook his head. "Don' worry, Cheri, Remy know he ain' da shahpest knife in da shed." He smiled and deftly slipped his hand, interlaced his fingers with her and brought it up then kissed it. "Yo' don' have ta try an' make 'im feel bettah about it."

                Her pity was momentarily replaced with disgust as she pulled her hand away.

                "Let's keep our paws to ahselves, swamp rat."

                She tried to keep the bitterness to a passing comment, not feeling like getting into another verbal duel with him - though it was usually only her attacking. He had this way of turning whatever she said into some sort of lame flirt. Eurgh. 

                "Still, ya must be doin' alright in French right? Ya did take French, didn't ya.."

                He grinned, he'd been expecting her to pull away after all. 

                "O' course, cher, Remy may no' be very smaht, but he no foo'. Da teachah ain' much likin' da slang Remy knows, dough. He be teachin da kiddies some o' da bad t'ings ta say." He chuckled at that and folded his arms behind his head. "How 'bout yo', Cheri? What classes do yo' take?"

                Rogue settled back into her seat. It wasn't exactly uncomfortable sitting here, talking casually with Remy. But there was always the fear that he'd pull something or subject her to more lame flirting. But he was being pretty normal so far... which could only mean he'd explode with something swamp rat-ish at any moment. Still, he was right, he did deserve a second chance.. she guessed. 

                "Just the basics.. Ah'm takin art for an extra, and Spanish." She smirked at him almost teasingly. "It's easier."

                He shook his head and sighed. 

                "Yo' broke Remy's heaht, Cheri..." He flicked a card out of nowhere, it seemed, and as it fluttered up, revealing the Ace of Hearts, the rest of the card burns away, then a line splits down the heart and the two remnants slowly drift down. "Francais is much mo' romantic, p'tite, the language of love, ah, sweet amour. De Spanish... jus' no' as good."

                Rogue lifted her chin a bit, still smirking. "Ah disahgree, Spanish sounds more exotic. And Ah doubt Cajun French is as romantic as real French. Though Ah only have Kitty's horrible accent to go by.." 

                Hmm. Sitting in the car with Remy arguing over which language sounded more romantic. Her mind quickly sought an alternative train of thought, which in fact brought her back to the reason they'd started the conversation. 

                "Ah think Ah have an idea.. Ah'll help you with your other classes if you'll help Kitty with her French. She's almost failin', and Ah can't stand to listen to her drawlin' n'more."

                He arched an eyebrow at that and looked over at her, leaning forward a bit, inspecting her face. Then he shrugged and leaned back. 

                "Yo' on da up an' up, Cheri? No' gonna leave Remy in da lurch, are ya? Anoder little prank like da one last night?" He grinned. He all ready knew the answer, of course. She may not be the type you could con, but she was still pretty easy to read. The loners usually were, since they mostly thought alike. 

                "Somet'in could be arranged, he t'inks."

                "If you can help her with her pronunciation, Ah can at least help her with the grammar.. It's similar enough." That way Kitty wouldn't have to bother him all the time. And she'd be free of the daily torture. She had to admire Kitty, though, for being determined to practice even though it was quite hopeless. But back to the matter at hand.. 

                "Ah'd agree to meet ya after school, but not if we'll be leavin' in stolen cars." Not to mention Remy had a stealing habit they needed to work on.

                He chuckled and shook his head. 

                "Cheri, one o' da first t'ings yo' learn is dat yo' don' keep hittin' da same spot wit'out givin' it a bit o' a wait." He smiled over at her and gave her a gentle nudge with his elbow. "An' besides, Remy don' hear yo' complainin' bout da ride he found fo' us... If yo' don' like it he can find anot'er one." He grinned at that.

                Rogue couldn't help but crack a smile before quickly covering it with an annoyed gesture and pointed look at the ocean. 

                "Ah'd prefer if we ditched it soon as possible.. Ah don't feel like gettin' expelled for stealin' the French teacher's car." Not to mention what would happen when Logan would find out. Goodbye life, hello level 10.

                He thought for a moment, then nodded and opened the door before he stepped out of the car and stood. He stretched a bit and gave a little yawn. 

                "Maybe yo' right, cher. Le's blow dis popsicle stand. Da cops be findin' da cah and dey give it back ta de teachah."


	6. Chapter 5: A French Lesson and a Heated ...

Chapter 5: A French Lesson and a Heated Conversation

                Late afternoon Rogue and Remy entered the institute's dorm common room. Some of the students were missing, having gone off to some sort of after school activity, and the rest were strewn about lazing infront of the tube or out on the lawn. Rogue made for the stairs to find Kitty before Scott emerged from the kitchen.

                "Rogue, we missed you after school. Where did you go?"

                Rogue paused to answer him. "Ah waited, then Ah got another rahde."

                "With who?"

                Rogue bristled. He expected her to wait around for him, then acted like he had a right to put his nose in her business?

                "None o' ya business, Ah'm not helpless ya know."

                Without letting him get a word in edgewise Rogue went past him and up the stairs to her and Kitty's room. Scott remained, confused. He didn't exactly deserve the snap, really, but he couldn't help but notice that she'd been a little hostile towards him lately.

                "What did I say?"

                Remy walked up next to Scott, watching Rogue as she went up the stairs, and put an arm around the leader's shoulders. 

                "De women, dey is fickle, mon ami. Yo' don' have ta say not'in. Das jus how da good Lawd made dem, at least dat's what Remy's Pa always say. Jus' be lucky yo' got yo'self one wit a slightly steady head... and a nice tight little rear." He grinned and Scott elbowed him in the ribs. "Dat's what all da boys down on da bayou be lookin' at, sah, i's da bes' paht." He chuckled and turned away, then sat himself down on the couch and started to fiddle with his cards.

                Scott made a flustered groan of disgust at Remy's comment before stalking back into the kitchen. Intimidated? Let's hope not. 

                Upstairs, Rogue walked in as Kitty was practicing her French, no less.

                "Jooo vay oon, like, movie?"

                Rogue crossed the room with a grimace, dumping her books into her bed.

                "Kitty, cut the French torture for a sec... Look, Ah probably shouldn't 've asked without askin' ya first, but Ah asked the swamp rat if he'd help ya with your pronunciation."

                Kitty flipped through her text book as she listened, suddenly looking up with an elated grin.

                "You're kidding! He said he'd help me? That's awesome!" Kitty jumped up off her bed without another thought towards the door before stopping, thinking. "Whoa, wait a second Rogue.. When did you two ever stop fighting long enough for you to ask him to help me?" She blinked with sudden realization. "You were with him after school, weren't you! Oh my god Rogue, what did you DO!" 

                Rogue held her hands up in defense, shocked at the accusation. 

                "Who said Ah was with that jerk, and even if Ah was, nothin' would have happened! Honestly, Kitty, keep yer mind outta the gutter for two minutes.." Rogue wasn't sure why she felt the need to deny it - it was innocent enough. And why did she revert to name calling again? "It's just that he ain't doin' that great in his classes, and he agreed to help you if Ah helped him a little, that's all!"

                Kitty tilted her head.

                "You, help him? Ha! Fair enough, Rogue. I'll just pretend like you two don't have something goin' on, while I practice my French..."

                And with that Kitty dashed back downstairs, followed by a very annoyed Rogue.

                Remy was, meanwhile, downstairs picking up a bit more spending money by playing some quick three card monty while Captain Bringdown, aka Scott, was busy with his favorite psychic in the kitchen. 

                "Ok, boys, yo' jus have ta follow da black Queen. She gotta be dere somewhere, don' take yo' eyes off." Iceman was back. He was determined to win his money back. Yet he'd all ready lost ten dollars to 

Remy's game, and there went another ten. Bobby was able to stop there and he just stood and walked away. When Remy saw Kitty come down the stairs he quickly grabbed up the three cards and stood. 

                "Sorry, boys, dat's all fo' now. Remy gotta go help out some o' da lady folk wit deir schoolwork."

The boys grumbled and Kitty took one of the soon vacated spots next to Remy. 

                "So, like, you're really gonna help me with my French!? Thanks! I really need it!" 

                Remy blinked and looked at her, then smiled and nodded as Rogue joined them. "Da's right, mon petite amie, yo' jus show Remy what da trouble is."

                Before Kitty had a chance to demonstrate her grating French accent, Rogue cut in to more accurately point out the problem.

                "She can't really pronounce the vowels.."

                Kitty shot her a pouty look and Rogue could only shrug. "It's true."

                Kitty sat indian style on the couch next to Remy, flipping open the text book to their current area of study. She seemed more than eager to learn from a pro, especially one as charming and easy on the eyes as Remy. Rogue, in an effort to contain her slight disgust for Kitty's shamelessness by opening her own text book, intent on doing her homework while the French students had their little session.

                Remy did his best and smiled the whole time. He didn't seem to mind that she wasn't too great with French. He had to hold up his end of the bargain, and if there was one thing he was, it was an honorable man... at least when he felt like being one. After an hour and a half of painfully slow learning Kitty's pronunciation actually sounded like a horribly mispronounced French, rather than gibberish. In fact, at the end she actually pronounced a few of the words right. Remy grinned and nodded. 

                "Da's it, Cheri! Yo' win a li'l prize fo' dat." He easily slid a hand behind her head and pulled her close, planting a nice firm kiss... right on her forehead. "Nice work, Cheri, I t'ink da's a good place ta stop fo' tonight."

                Kitty blushed furiously as she gathered her books. "Like, thanks! I mean, uh.. Merci!" Standing, she said her goodbyes to Rogue before heading into the kitchen to scope out the munchies scene, delightedly pointing out different objects in French. 

                Meanwhile, Rogue tried not to notice that last little gesture between the two. But she didn't know what was worse - watching the students' casual interactions that could only be her fantasy, or to see them tiptoe around her, careful not to do anything infront of Rogue.. She decided the last thing she needed was their pity. 

                As Kitty went into the kitchen, Rogue scribbled to finish what she was working on, turning to Remy with a disconnected, vaguely annoyed expression... What happened to the love? =(

                "Now what did ya need help with?"

                Remy scooted over next to her and smoothly slid an arm around her shoulders and leaned against her. "Dat can wait, Cheri, i's like Remy said, he don' really care... He t'ink he can help yo', dough. Yo' need ta relax a bit, Cheri, don' be so high strung. Ain' good fo' da body, p'tite, an' yo' body deserves ta be taken care of." He grinned and scooted a bit closer. 

                "Nah, before yo' try an' get away, jus' hear Remy out. He ain' gonna grope ya or nuttin', but what say yo' give him da honah of goin' fo' a little walk, hm? Da night air is always good fo' relaxin."

                She stayed long enough to let him finish speaking, but sat up instinctively. 

                "It's not that Ah don't trust ya. Don't ya get it?" No, he probably didn't. Grabbing her notebook, she stood up. "Look, if we're walkin', it'll be while we're studyin'.. Ah only agreed to tutor ya if ya helped Kitty, not hang out with ya."

                He arched a brow and looked up at her. 

                "Fair enough, Cheri, dough Remy would like ta know what he jus' ain' be gettin'. Cause obviously he jus' don' get it. An' if yo' wanna wait till he do, well, den yo' got a long wait ahead, Cheri."

                Rogue looked up at the common room. Some students still milled about, but most were getting ready for dinner. Still, she didn't want to create a scene. She kept her voice low and exasperated. 

                "Don't ya get it?! You're riskin' ya life every time ya come near me. Touch mah skin, even by accident, and you're in a coma. What's so hard ta get!"

                He blinked and shrugged, then stood. 

                "Remy know, Cheri. He don' mind none. An' he ain' afraid, neither. He pick pockets since he was five, he know jus where his hands be goin' all da time, no need ta worry 'bout Remy gettin' hurt." He grinned and winked, then headed for the door, for their walk/study.

                Rogue ran a shaky hand over her face. But didn't he realize how it felt to be teased all the time? She shook her head, slightly more depressed than when the conversation began, and followed him out the door with her notebook in hand. She determinedly kept three feet between them as they went, keeping her eyes down - mind still broiling over their last exchange..

                "Fine.. What do ya need help with?"

                He sighed and thought for a moment as he looked up at the sky. "Well... de math ain' so easy... Ones an' twos Remy can handle... but de X's and Y's is confusin. He don' see why yo' need lettah's when yo' jus' messin' wit' numbahs."

                A half hour did nothing to help Remy's math. It did, however, leave them at the outer reaches of the Xavier compound, with nearly two miles between them and the mansion. Remy had stopped paying attention as Rogue tried to explain how the hell he was supposed to do simple pre-algebra and was amusing himself by doing acrobatics every now and then.

                Rogue glanced up from the problem she was working on to watch Remy doing one of his stunts.

                "Aren't ya gonna pay attention?" Rogue turned back to look at the mansion. It was getting later, the sun beginning to set, and no doubt dinner would start any minute. "Maybe we should go back now, they'll wonder where we are."

                He chuckled and finally just ended up sprawled out on the grass. 

                "Remy jus' ain' made fo' dis book learnin', Cheri... Yo' can head on back if yo' want, dey can wonder all night as far as Remy cares... Afraid dey'll get some improper t'oughts bout what we be doin' heah?" 

                He folded his arms behind his head with a sigh. He looked around the starts, then back to Rogue. He wasn't sure what she would do, but hopefully she'd stay. He needed time alone if he was ever going to crack her. It wouldn't be easy, but he was one of the best con men around. He could do it.

                "It's not like Kitty hasn't already suggested it.. Talk to someone new and she's all ova me for it. It doesn't take much with her." Rogue dropped her book to the grass, looking around aimlessly. She didn't really feel like going back, only to have Kitty grill her about her and Remy's study session. She'd have to put an end to that somehow. 

                Looking back at Remy, she figured that Kitty's suspicion wasn't totally unfounded.. This was the second time Rogue found herself alone with Remy - how did that happen? Only days ago she had seen him as an enemy - he had worked for Trask! And she still did, didn't she? It's not like he gave her any real reason to trust him or his motives - it was those motives that got her landed in Trask's laboratory. Turning to face him, Rogue posed him a question.

                "Why are ya here?"

                Remy blinked, looking quite stunned, then he stood and started back toward the mansion. "Maybe yo right, cheri. Probably should get back."

                "Nothin' like changin' the subject, swamp rat." She'd caught him off guard, and was going to nail him for it. "Why don't ya answer my question? Why are ya here?" She followed him closely.

                He shrugs and is silent several moments longer. His defenses were never down for long, though, and he looked at her with his same cocky grin. 

                "Fo' all da pretty girls, Cheri... In fact, as soon as Remy met yo' he jus' knew he had ta come ta heah." He chuckled and looked away again.

                The cocky grin and flirty comments would never work on her again. Rogue sped up and stopped in front of him, forcing him to meet her accusing glare.

                "Ya seem to forget that the first time we met ya were tryin' ta kill me! It's yo' fault that we ended up in that lab, and don't think Ah don't know you're up to somethin' now!"

                This got to him. His demeanor changed, slightly, a little shift. His eyes seemed more vibrant, anger just below the surface, and there was a small tic in his lower lip. 

                "De talkin is ova', cheri."

                "Yea, it is. Don't be sore that Ah didn't trip ovah mahself for ya so Ah wouldn't find ya out, Remy." She said his name - for the first time - like some sort of curse. She turned to leave him, notebook forgotten on the grass.

                He actually sneered and grabbed her shoulder, spinning her around to face him, leaning in close and whispering fiercely. 

                "Listen, Cheri, Remy ain' no criminal no mo'. He don' appreciate yo' sayin' it neithah. He work hahd ta get to where he is, he didn' have no one ta care enough 'bout him ta do deir best and not make him feel different like yo', an' he don' need yo' shit jus' because yo' think Remy is some sort of low life swamp rat. Got it?" He pushed her out of the way, manners forgotten, and walked briskly toward the mansion, trying to regain his composure.

                Rogue felt herself freeze up, even after he was long gone. She'd pinned the blame on Remy, but from his point of view she seemed like the one who should feel guilty. But that simply wasn't right! Hurt, confused, and beginning to feel guilty, Rogue spun around to punch a nearby tree, sinking into the grass.


	7. Chapter 6: Yonder Window

Chapter 6: Yonder Window

                Remy took his seat at the empty dinner table. The walk back had only taken twenty minutes at his new pace, but it was still something, and dinner was pretty much cleared out. He picked at his food, though didn't seem to have much of an appetite. Bobby slid into a seat next to him and leaned over, whispering. 

                "So, uh, Kitty said you and Rogue went somewhere after school, and just went for a walk..

What's up, man?" 

                Remy looked over at him, then looked around before leaning in towards Bobby... only to pull back and give the boy a wet willy at the last moment, much to the Iceman's chagrin... though Remy got his payback when he felt his finger freeze. He rubbed his finger a big and shook his head, then went back to being uninterested in his meal. 

                "Remy ain' in da talkative mood, mon ami, maybe latah." Bobby grins and nods before rushing off to tell his friends he would be getting the inside scoop later.

                Rogue, on the other hand, came back much later.. close to 45 minutes after Remy walked in. Most of the students had cleared out of the living room and were in their rooms, where Rogue was headed. She passed Logan as she went down the hall.

                "Hey Stripes, you missed dinner..."

                The only answer he got was the slam of a door as Rogue disappeared into her room. He approached it and knocked a few times.

                "Stripes!"

                Logan sniffed instinctively. No blood, no injuries.. which only left one thing - the Cajun. With faint snarl Logan headed for the stairs.

                Remy had found a new game to swindle the kid: Craps. He smiled as Jamie tossed the bones and they clattered against the wall. Five, eight, twelve... 

                "Seven! Craps, mon ami... Yo' know, dis game was invented by da French, in Naw'lins. Da Big Easy is da best place ta go an' play a good game o' craps." 

                As he scooped up his money the students scattered. Remy saw a shadow slip over him, then that one sound they all dreaded hearing: Snikt, and the other hand, snikt! He stands, grabbing his dice, and turns to face Logan with a smile, only to be slammed into the wall, dropping money and dice, an adamantium blade pressed against his throat. 

                "I really hate havin to repeat myself, bub. I thought I warned you about messin with Rogue." Remy gulped and blinked, then smiled slightly. "Remy been good, he didn' do nothin." 

                Logan sniffed, then pressed the metal into the Cajun's flesh a bit harder. "I can smell fear, friend, and I can hear your heart beat accelerate. I'm a god damn human lie detector. Swing and a miss, three strikes and you're out, bub." Remy shuddered then smiled again. 

                "W-well, dere may have been somet'in dat happened... Remy jus' lost his tempah... Didn' hit da girl or nuttin', jus tol' her off 'bout accusin' Remy of bein' a bad guy... Das all..." Logan sniffed again, staring into those red eyes, then stepped back, Remy dropping to his knees with a sigh of relief. Logan bent over and scooped up a few of the bills, stuffing them into one of his pockets. 

                "Don't let me catch you husslin' again, Cajun." With that he walked out, headed back toward Rogue's room. He knocked a bit harder on the door. He was determined to get the whole story. 

                "Stripes! You know if you don't open up I can break the door down, and I don't want to have to pay for that, so just open up."

                Rogue opened the door, now dressed in her nightgown and a sweater. One look at Logan in his less than tame state was a dead give away. Her tone became urgent, almost panicked. Kitty, thankfully, wasn't there at the moment.

                "What did ya say ta him, Logan?"

                He folded his arms across his chest, looking down at her sternly.

                "Enough about me, Stripes, I want to know what you two were doing out there by yourselves. And where were you two after school?"

                Rogue threw one hand up.

                "Why does everyone suddenly start accusin' us of messin' around! All we did was decide ta give Kitty French lessons - ask her yaself! And Ah was tryin' ta help him with his schoolwork - ya can't just throw him into Bayville High like he's used to it!"  Accusing, defending, accusing, defending; so goes Rogue on the merry go round that is Remy. "Ah don't need ya to protect me from him, Logan. It'll only make things worse!"

                Logan frowns, an angry frown of course, though there was something sad about it, too. He opens his mouth as if to say something else, then sighs. 

                "I guess you're right, Stripes, I can't protect you forever..." His frown changes to a small smile, a rare thing for Logan. "Guess I've taught you well enough, anyway... A bit of advice, though: Force isn't always the answer, if that's how you try to resolve everything, you'll end up with lots of regrets. Maybe give talking a try... can't really help you there, though. Never was my thing."

                 He chuckles and pats her shoulder. "Good night, Stripes." He shakes his head and turns, walking out and for the door, pulling out a cigar. He needed something to calm his nerves.

                Rogue blinked before shutting her door... First he was demanding an explanation, then dishing out fatherly advice? Everyone, it seemed, was suffering from major mood swings - herself included, she would admit. Now she was in a worse place than where she started. At least it was the weekend, and didn't have to deal with school, or with anyone if she decided to stay in her room..

*~*The Next Day: Saturday, Evening*~*

                Remy walked quietly down the hall of the girls dorms. He'd heard that Rogue had barred herself in her room, and some were even pointing fingers at him. He had to get things cleared up. Couldn't let his good name go to waste or the boys may stop seeking his entertainment services. He looked left, then right as he approached the door to her room. 

                He slide a lock pick into the opening and then the probe beneath it, moving the tumblers and something clicked quite quickly. Cheap locks. He knocked softly then just stepped in, closing the door behind him and leaning against it, not wanting to get caught in the hall... he just hoped he had the right room.

                Rogue was sitting on her bed, headphones blaring with a sketchbook in front of her with random human figures. She wore her favorite green, long sleeved wrap, but wore only shorts beneath, legs bared. She wasn't wearing gloves either, which only added to her panic at the sudden entry. Seeing who it was, she stood up quickly, looking at him accusingly.

                "What are ya doin'! The door was _locked_." 

                She took her annoyed glare from him as she searched her nightstand for her gloves.

                He grinned and shrugged. 

                "De school need ta invest in bettah locks. Dese is simple." He watches what she's doing, then shakes his head. "Don' worry bout getting' yo'self all gussied up fo' Remy, he ain' gonna touch yo', he jus gonna stay right heah. We jus' need ta clear somet'in up, Cheri."

                She paused briefly in her searching before snatching a pair of gloves from her drawer, slipping them on despite his promise. It was more for her personal sense of safety than his own. Rogue straightened to face him.

                "What's ta clear up? Apparently Ah've wrongly accused ya of bein' a lowly thief. Ah'm sorry, but folks who steal cars and break into people's rooms uninvited tend to fit the description!" She was getting ahead of herself even before he had his hand out on the table. Not exactly wise.

                "You weren't the one in that prison, so excuse me if Ah have a right to be suspicious of anyone!"

                He sighed and looked at the floor. 

                "Yo' right, Cheri... Remy been tryin' ta be good... Ol' habits jus' hahd ta break is all... He want to apologize, dough. He got out o' control las' night. An'... Well, fo' everyt'in else too. Remy jus' cause trouble. Dat's why he be leavin'. Jus didn' wan' ta leave dis wit'out wrappin' it up."

                Rogue stopped, still looking at him incredulously. 

                "Leavin'? Leavin' where?"

                The idea that he would ever leave hadn't really occurred to her. Even when she was mad or suspicious or annoyed with him, she did not remember ever wishing he would leave. Remy was just a fact of life, albeit a vexing one. And now he wanted to leave?

                He shrugged and looked around her room before he walked over to the window, just to see if it was a viable means of exit. 

                "Da's right, Cheri... I's like Remy say, he try an' be good. Guess Remy jus' ain' no good at being good, so he jus' gonna leave. I's fo' de best, Cheri, he ain' really wanted 'round heah, eithah. Hell, yo' know dat, Cheri, he sho' yo' wan' Remy ta leave."

                "Ya know Ah never said that!" She shook her head, trying to think around this new bit of insanity. "You bein' here has nothin' to do with whether you're good or bad." Did she not just accuse him of being here for less than honorable reasons? "The Professah asked ya here so ya live a bettah life, it's not up to me whether you're allowed to stay."

                He chuckled and shook his head as he opened the window. He looked out a bit, then grabbed the nearby drain pipe. He shook it a bit just to test it, then pulled himself back into the room. 

                "Well, Cheri, yo' don' need ta say nothin'. Remy know de signs when he ain' wanted. An' Remy ain' wanted. So he jus' goin'." He smiled at her. "De good life i's no fo' Remy, he guess. He jus' go back to da street He can make a livin' wit' his cahds, jus' like he used to. Or maybe jus' lift some stuff. Ain' so clean an' legal as school, but it get Remy money an' food, so he won' complain."

                Rogue's almost pleading expression briefly faded into anger. She moved around to the window, though there wasn't much she could do to block his escape.

                "Why are ya doin' this! It's not like everyone hates ya! The students, Bobby and Jamie and Rahne.. sure, ya take their money, but they admire ya! And the Professah, he's givin' ya a home. Why would you throw that away?"

                He smiled and shook his head. 

                "Remy ain' throwin' nuttin' away, Cheri. He can' make it on de up an' up, anyway. He ain' smart enough ta get no job. Yo' jus' go on like Remy was nevah heah, yo' fo'get him soon 'nuff. Will yo' please move naw, Cheri? He need ta get on de road."

                "Well Ah think that's bullshit. Ya know ya have no real reason for leavin' except ta piss me off. If ya gonna leave ya ain't doin' it from here, you're gonna talk to the Professah first." To emphasize her point, she put one hand on his arm to keep him from jumping down the drain pipe.

                He sighed and put his hand over here, yet still he smiled, as if to comfort her. 

                "Yo' don' have ta worry, Cheri. Remy make it on de street befo', he do it again. I's no problem fo' Remy. An' i's his decision, Cheri. He jus don' belong heah. He only gonna do bad fo' all da impressionale li'l kiddies. He no good fo' yo' eit'ah, Cheri. Remy is bad news."

                Her grip on his arm tightened, afraid he would leave at any second. She looked at him carefully with a worried look.

                "Is this about somethin' Logan said?"

                He blinked, then grinned and shook his head again. 

                "No, Cheri... He scahed Remy, sho' nuff, but Remy nevah been one ta run away jus' from dat. He's t'ought it ovah an' he t'ink dis is best, fo' everyone... He t'ink da Prafessah agree, cause he ain' try an' stop Remy yet, but he got da powah ta know and do somet'in 'bout it."

                He made a point, but she refused to see the logic in it all. There was simply no point to him leaving.. and it was her fault. She was the only one who rejected him, but what could Rogue's opinion, one out of a thousand, matter enough to make him leave? She let go of his arm and took a step back, voice bitter and taunting. Her expression was angry and would seem sorrowful but for the absence of tears.

                "If you're so bent on ditchin' us, why haven't ya left yet?"

                "He had ta come an' make t'ings right wit' yo', Cheri... Remy didn' wan' ta jus' leave an' no' apologize fo' bein' a jahk." He put one leg out of the window and smiled at her. "Dough, if yo' is dis broken up ovah Remy leavin', maybe yo' give him a kiss befo' i's too late."

                Well, that was probably the worst imaginable thing to say to Rogue, especially at that moment. Her face contorted in anguish and rage, and before the Cajun could see what was coming, Rogue gave him a heavy shove out the window - not stopping to watch him fall before slamming the window shut.

                Remy yelled in surprise, cut off as he landed on his back, the air rushing out of him. After a couple of seconds he got up, brushing his trenchcoat off, and gave one last look up at Rogues window. 

                "Yo' missin' da chance of a lifetime, cheri!" He chuckled and dashed off toward the perimeter, ready to hop the fence and be on his way.


	8. Chapter 7: The Morlocks vs The XMen

Chapter 7: The Morlocks vs The X-Men

                A few weeks to a month later it was spring vacation, and the students started their free week off at the outdoor mall. It was an open air market with shops lining a street where cars weren't allowed, with plenty of vendors on the sidewalks. There was some type of market festival going on, and was a popular place for activists to get the attention of the public. 

                The X kids had decided to spend the day - Jean and Kitty for the shopping, Kurt for the food, and Scott to stand there and dumbly approve all of Jean's new outfits. Why bother asking?? Rogue tagged along too, but only because they insisted she'd come. She had been holed up in her room for most of the time - just after Remy disappeared, everyone noted. Rumors varied as to what caused him to leave.. a lover's spat, or that Rogue simply killed him and hid the body. Anything was possible.. 

                While Jean and Kitty raided the clothing racks, Rogue stood with Kurt outside at the fountain, who was busy stuffing his face. Rogue made a queasy expression.

                "How can ya eat all that? It's disgustin'." 

                Kurt shrugged and shoved another hot dog in his mouth.

                "I need to eat to keep mein furry coat itz nice blue color."

                At the other end of the plaza a small group pushed through the crowd with signs. They stopped in the center at the base of a statue, where the apparent leader climbed up to address the people. He announced them as the Friends of Humanity.

                Rogue looked briefly up at Kurt.

                "Why don't they all go put on some white hoods and burn a DNA strand on someone's lawn?"

                The FoH leader was up on his soap box for several minutes, ranting and raving, when suddenly a bolt of electricity streaks from the crowd and takes him square in the chest. The man falls back against the statue and collapses, his clothing burned away where the electricity hit, skin charred. People panic and scream, clearing back, looking for the culprit. Suddenly a hole tears open in the air next to the statue, and the dead mutant hater, and out stepped a tall, statuesque woman. 

                She was nearly six feet tall with jet black hair and a powerful build, and a beautiful blue eye. Yes, singular. The other could not be seen because of the patch that covered it. Out of the opening stepped several others, one with electricity running along her body periodically, the killer. Other noticeable figures were two kids, same height and build, one with green skin, the other's pink, a hulking beast with an insect-like exoskeleton, and a... thing that didn't seem to have skin at all, but was gelatenous, in a human form. Lastly out stepped a familiar face, Remy LeBeau. 

                Several of the mutants started taking care of the other Friends of Humanity while the tall woman began to speak. "Attention, humans and mutants alike! We are the Morlocks! Recently, several anti-mutant groups have begun searching out and attacking our havens!" Images of people with guns bursting through ramshackle doors, shooting wildly, mutants running, dieing, and horrible torture flood the minds of all the people in the market. 

                "We will not stand for this! If we are not left alone then we will only be forced to take further act

ion, and no one wants that! This is the only warning you shall receive, let it spread!" 

                A man from the crowd rushed forward and thrust his hand out, as if expecting something to happen. There was a flash of flame, then nothing. He blinked, perplexed, wondering what had happened to his power when the exoskeleton-ed Morlock slammed him with a vicious backhand, sending the man flying back into the crowd. 

                "That is all." Those were her last words, and another portal opened and the Morlocks calmly started filing through, Remy, the head woman, and a few others covering their exit, though no one seemed to be challenging them.

                Rogue and Kurt could only look on in shock as the other X Men filed out of the store to join them. They watched the interaction between the man and the green skinned child, and it was easy to see what had happened... Then the Morlocks began to retreat. Scott's eyes glowed behind his glasses.

                "We can't let them get away."

                Kitty looked up at Jean. "The kid, can you cover him?"

                Jean pressed her hands to her temples, prepared. "I'll try."

                Kurt looked uncertainly at Rogue, who had a death gaze trained on LeBeau. Her only answer to his silent query: 

                "He's mine." 

                And the battle began. The three youngest X Men darted forward through the crowd towards the air rip. Scott looked up and took aim at the statue, blasting chips of concrete away to hopefully frighten the civilians away. Jean centered her thoughts on the green skinned child, and delivered a psychic blow.

                Leech screams and falls to his knees, clutching his head. Callisto turned to a purple-skinned guy about to walk through the portal and whispered to him as  Litterbug - the 6'5"  brute with the green exoskeleton and Army tattoo - rushed forward to take care of the approaching three X-Men. The man Callisto talked to concentrated for a moment before pointing straight at Jean. Callisto sneered and ran to 

meet their attackers while Artie, Leech's pink-skinned companion, concentrated and flooded Jean's mind with horrible images of death and destruction. Remy frowned as he saw the X-Men but stayed where he was, pulling a card out and charging it, just in case.

                Kurt decided to start things off... *Bampf!* He teleported in the air infront of Litterbug to deliver a flying kick, and teleporting out as soon as possible... *Bampf!* He was then infront of Callisto in the middle of a tail whip before the woman grabbed it painfully, jamming her elbow into his back and sending him to the ground. Kitty, meanwhile, could do little else but taunt an enemy into attacking her, phasing at the last moment. Scott took careful aim at Callisto and fired, right before Jean started to moan. 

                "Jean! What's wrong!"

                The telepath struggled to push her mind through the flurry of images to send out a weak distress call. Within moments, a third party psychic blast was aimed at Artie. Meanwhile...

                Rogue dodged around the action with Kurt and Kitty to come face to face with Remy. There were a lot of places she would expect to see him, doing a variety of illegal things.. But never this. She looked to the side at the man who lay dead at the base of the statue, and behind her at the unconscious anonymous mutant. Rogue turned her eyes to Remy, a mixture of anger, hurt, and shock. 

                "Is this what ya decided ta leave us for?" 

                She didn't give him much time to answer before a Wolverine-like rage took over. With the same prowess that fueled her exceptional duel with Logan, Rogue darted right at him, a heel strike aimed for the arm which held the playing card.

                Leech used the temporary break from the psychic assault to cancel out the superhuman abilities - mystic or mutant - of the people in the area. Kitty was shocked and knocked flat when she found she couldn't phase, but Jean was let up from the image assault from Artie, though the pink-skinned boy was still reeling from the blast that had caught him. That couldn't be stopped, without the mutant in the area. Callisto was thrown back and fell with a heavy 'umph' but was up quickly enough and back in the fray. 

                Remy flicked his card at the ground and jumped back... but nothing happened. In his shock he got a nasty blow to the jaw from Rogue which left him stunned, blinking. He started to dodge as best he could while trying to talk to her. 

                "Wait, Cheri! Stop dis! Yo' need ta get outta heah!"

                Rogue only increased her rate of attack. "Why should Ah! Ah'm exactly where Ah need ta be, fightin' the badguys as it were!" She aimed a vicious palm strike at his face to accentuate the point. Otherwise, she was oblivious to the fact that all their powers had been negated. "How dare ya try n' tell me off for accusin' ya of bein' a bad guy, when Ah find ya here with these people?!" 

                She attempted to grab the back of his head by the hair, which she would have forced to look at the man lying on the ground. "He's dead, Remy, and she killed him! She murdered him. And this is what ya left us to do??"

                He sneered as he looked at the body and grabbed her wrist, spinning to look at her, his other hand coming up to touch her cheek. He figured that the skin-to-skin touch would catch her off guard now that Leech had taken care of the power situation. 

                "Dey ain' bad, Cheri! Dey jus' wanna be alone! An' dese people keep tryin' ta kill dem, because dey mutants! Dis is de first dey killed, aftah losin' deir friends and family!" 

                Suddenly Remy's eyes went wide and flew over to Leech.. who was unconscious, a cloud of blue smoke in front of him. Kurt had managed to break through and take care of him, teleporting to safety once he could. Remy just stood there, he couldn't do anything else, the color draining from his face as the Morlocks slowly retreated, most gone through the portal. Litterbug jumps through, carrying Artie and Leech. Callisto fell back too, looking over at Remy, she frowned. 

                "You'll have to find your own way home, kid! You know where the rendezvous is!" She stepped through and the portal closed, a red blast nailing the statue after passing through the now repaired air.

                The red haze which seemed to cloud Rogue's vision lifted when Remy touched his hand to her cheek. Instinctively she braced herself for the unnatural sensation that would follow.. but it didn't. She could feel the skin of his hand. It was smooth, but rough.. She could feel the calluses on his palm and fingertips, and the warmth that spread through her face. She barely heard what he said, too shocked... 

                Had her power somehow left her, had she finally gained control? Then something in the air wavered, and Rogue was suddenly torn away from her dream, fantasy with an anguished cry as her skin burned and froze at the same time, the feeling of Remy's touch gone. Images, memories, emotions forced its way into her mind which did not have the strength to resist, though it tried. Carol – the only whole entity in her mind - flared up in her own rage to attack Remy's copied essence, and Rogue's mind became a battle ground.

                Rogue stumbled backward from Remy's touch, completely subdued by Carol. She fell to her knees, and the gloves on her hands began to burn away from a glowing red energy, which began to leak its way into the cobble stoned plaza, spreading, slowly encompassing all.

                Remy blinked as he watched the energy spread. He knew what it was. Many were all ready screaming and fleeing in panic, but not enough. He turned and started shouting, pulling out a card as he did. 

                "All yo'! Run! Get ou'! Run fo' yo' lives!" He threw the charged card at a piece of ground yet untouched, the explosion scaring more people, increasing the stampede from the plaza. Remy grunted and fell as he caught an optic blast from Scott as the other X-Men came forward. 

                "What the hell are you doing here!? Did you defect or something? You're coming with us, now, see if the Professor ca-" He looked at the red energy slowly consuming the area and furrowed his brow.        "What is that?" 

                Remy grinned and chuckled. "I's de stuff dat makes Remy's cahds so special, mon ami!" 

                Scott frowned and turned to Jean. "You need to help Rogue out. Kurt!" The German teen, now in his blue-furred glory, stepped forward. "Get Kitty out of here!" Just as she started to protest, poof, they were gone. Finally Scott turned back to Remy. "Is there any way to stop it?" The Cajun just shook his head.

                Scott looked at Jean, the gravity in his expression saying all that needed to be said. Jean nodded and concentrated... then Rogue's eyes rolled back, and she collapsed as if dead. She stopped before hitting the ground though, and she hovered off the charged ground, Scott and Jean following. Jean opened her eyes to look evenly at Remy. 

                "Are you coming back with us?"

                Remy frowned and shook his head. "De Morlocks need Remy's help mo' dan de school... Dey need ta be protected.... Dough, Remy would sho' nuff be grateful if yo' helped him out o' dis sticky situation." He motioned the the red stones that he stood on.

                Jean frowned and concentrated. All four levitated for a moment before Jean moved them away from the plaza towards the parking lot. Thankfully most of the people had dispersed, though sirens could be heard in the distance. In the parking lot, safely out of the way of the charged zone, Jean set them down. Scott stepped forward and lifted Rogue into his arms, careful not to touch her skin. The look he gave Remy was vicious even behind the ruby quartz sunglasses. Jean was cautious, but seemed more forgiving..

                "Are you sure, Remy?"

                He nodded, brushing off his trench coat a bit. "Remy sho'. Yo' mus'a seen da t'ings yo' was bein shown... De Morlocks, dey good people, dey jus' wan' ta be alone... Dese people stop killin' dem, den dey won' have ta do nuttin' like dis again... Ain' no lie..." He frowned and looked down, then shrugged, nothing else to say.

                Scott was all too eager to get away from the defected thief, and immediately went to his car.               "Come on Jean, we need to get Rogue to the Professor."

                As Scott got them into the car, Jean surveyed Remy carefully with an almost mournful look, before she too got into the car. They left in the opposite direction of the sirens.

                Remy watched them go for a few moments before he turned and ran. He grabbed the nearest sewer cover and pulled it out of the way. He climbed down the ladder then pulled the cover back into place. The only thing he left behind was a note: "Do Not Step On Red, It Be Gone In An Hour"


	9. Chapter 8: Carol

Chapter 8: Carol

                The monitoring equipment at Rogue's bedside beeped rhythmically. Her vital signs were normal, there was even a level of brain activity. But Rogue would simply not wake, or respond to any physical stimulus. Professor Xavier sat by Rogue's side, frowning as Dr. McCoy read back his report. The other handful of students present that day were there too. Scott and Jean listened carefully while Kurt comforted a distraught Kitty in the corner. 

                "It was totally his fault.. He touched her, I saw!" Kurt could only look forlornly at the floor. Jean searched her mind for an explanation.

                "Professor, is it possible that someone else in Rogue's mind is causing this?" Jean was aware of the other side effect of Rogue's absorption.. a copy of the person's psyche. They had helped Rogue practice to repress them until they faded away, and had seemed to have an amount of control over them. But she was unaware of Carol and her permanence in Rogue's mind. Xavier looked at Rogue thoughtfully.

                "It is possible that absorbing Gambit caused another entity within her to react violently, thus causing Rogue to lose her control over her borrowed powers..." Xavier didn't mention Carol specifically.. it was Rogue's business. "I will attempt to probe Rogue's mind to see if there is any such entity keeping her consciousness subdued." 

                Calmly, Xavier closed his eyes and concentrated. He could clearly 'see' Carol in Rogue's mind, feeling her stalking to and fro like a caged tiger. He attempted to make light contact, before being forcefully repelled. He opened his eyes.

                "It's almost like its defending itself.." He paused. "Would someone get the door? Mind the windows."

                Remy was quite surprise when a sniffling Kitty opened the door he stood in front of. He'd contemplated whether it would be better to use the door or come quietly through a window, and bam, his answer was delivered... along with a vicious slap. The Cajun grinned, he was wearing his trenchcoat and boots, but also had a white ribbon laced into his hair. 

                "Well well, i's Remy's favorite French student." 

                Kitty just slapped him again, and Remy sighed. He grabbed her by the waist and threw her over his shoulder like a child, only to have her phase through him. He walked in anyway, the door slamming before she rushed up and jumped on his back, intent on knocking him over, though it didn't work. 

                "Cheri, jus' say where de girl is... Remy ain' here ta make trouble..." Kitty blinked and dropped off of his back, coming around front to stop his forward motion. 

                "You mean you came back for her! How romantic! Everyone is going to love this!" Before Remy could get a word in edge-wise she had him by the hand. He was drug through the mansion to the room where they had Rogue, and was greeted with less-than-friendly looks from Scott and Kurt, even Jean looked a little less inclined to be nice. The Professor had that same knowing smile that always seem to grace his features, and Beast just kept on with his work. Kitty grinned and went on at a mile a minute. 

                "You guys! Don't worry, he's a good guy again! He came back for Rogue! He loves her so much, just look what he did with his hair! Isn't this so romantic? It's like so romantic I could just die!" Remy blushed and grinned, then put a hand over her mouth. 

                "Dat's about enough out o' yo', Cheri..." Kitty phased through his hand and went to stand with the others, still smiling brightly as she does. Remy glanced at them again and approached her bed. "How she doin', Prafessah?"

                Xavier settled back into his wheelchair as he thought of a way to explain it. "To speak plainly, it's as if her consciousness is being held hostage by another psychic entity." He looked at the other students carefully before deciding to reveal the whole truth. "Its name is Carol, a mutant Rogue was forced to absorb during her imprisonment in Trask's laboratory. Rogue absorbed her completely, and Carol died. Her body, any way. Rogue had told me that Carol seemed dormant.. until now. As I said before to my students, her absorption of you, Remy, caused Carol to react violently. Carol's psyche completely eradicated the copy of yours. She has become almost territorial, and I fear she may try to eradicate Rogue's consciousness as well, and claim a new body." 

                Well, there it was, completely out on the table. The Professor clasped his hands before him. He could not be sure whether Carol was a mutant - she'd been dormant before, and now he couldn't concentrate on her long enough before she attacked him again. He'd just have to fight back.

                Remy frowned as he looked down at her and dropped to his knees next to the bed. His shoulders sagged heavily, and for once, Remy was completely without his confidence. He always carried himself with a surety that made him such a good con man, and made him so likeable and charming. He seemed so vulnerable now, and even Scott's expression softened slightly. Remy looked up at the Professor and sighed. 

                "So, den, i's Remy's fault, non?"

                Xavier, being the great man of reason and forgiveness that he was, gave Remy a reassuring smile. 

                "You must not blame yourself for this. You had no way of predicting the events that have occurred. I'm sure if you did, you would have prevented it, would you not?" Xavier looked at Rogue again, not needing to hear Remy's answer to know it. "Accidents happen, and you must forgive yourself, as I'm sure she would." 

                Remy nodded a bit and looked back to Rogue too with a heavy sigh. "Yo' is da smahtest man Remy eva' meet... He do wha'ever he can ta help, yo' jus tell Remy wha ta do an he do it..." Kitty squealed and covered her mouth, bouncing on her tiptoes excitedly.

                Xavier looked over at Remy, smiling at his offer and pouncing upon it.

                "Well, I'm sure I'll need someone to take care of Rogue while the children are at classes." He folded his hands in his lap. "We've kept your old room for you."

                Remy blinked, then looked away awkwardly. "Well... Sho', Remy could do dat, simple... jus'... Um... Remy rat'er yo' jus' listen ta his mind, if dat's all right..." Xavier nodded and watched Remy closely, then smiled. Remy, of course, needed Xavier to keep a psychic eye on the Morlocks, to make sure they were all right while Remy was here. 

                "That's no problem at all, Remy." 

                The Cajun smiled. "T'ank yo', Prafessah... Remy 'preciate it."

                Xavier gave him a kind smile.

                "And thank you. Kitty, if you'll show Mr. LeBeau back to his room.. And the rest of you. We've had a long day. I'd like to be alone with Rogue. I'm going to try my best to wake her. Jean, stay behind if you would." Xavier turned his attention inward, closing his eyes as he mentally prepared himself. Meanwhile the other students and Dr. McCoy filed out of the room, Kitty excitedly leading Remy by the hand again.

                Remy stopped Kitty once they were nearer the common room. 

                "Whoa dere, Cheri... Remy know where his room is... He still owe yo' some lessons en Francais, non?" Kitty jumped and nodded. 

                "Yea! And then we can talk about Rooogguuee." She drew the name out in that perfect grade-school tone that kids always used to tease each other about liking people. Remy sighed and took a seat on the couch while she went to get her book. 

                There were a few other students there, including Bobby and Jamie, though after the Iceman did a bit of quiet orchestrating Remy was left alone. He didn't really mind, he figured news would have spread quickly and that he wouldn't be trusted right away. C'est la vie. It wasn't long before Kitty was back and her next French lesson started up.

                Jean walked around and sat at the other side of Rogue's bed, patiently waiting. Xavier once again probed into her mind.. And found Carol once again. Another light attempt at contact result again in a violent reaction, so Xavier took the initiative.. He wasn't the most powerful psychic in the world for nothing. He forced his psyche on Carol, slowly adding pressure until she cracked... He spoke direcly into her. 

                ~Who are you?~ Rogue's back arched off the hospital bed and Jean stood quickly to pin her shoulders down, looking at the professor worriedly. Rogue spoke.

                "She trapped me here. I'm a prisoner, just like the rest." The voice was Rogue's, but the accent wasn't. Xavier questioned again. 

                ~What others?~

                "They are here, all of them. They are sleeping now. I made them sleep."

                ~And are you making Rogue sleep?~

                "There is no Rogue here."

                Xavier paused. ~Don't lie to me, Carol.~

                Rogue's breath became ragged and panicky.

                "There is no Rogue here! She's dead! SHE'S DEAD!"

                Jean fought to keep Rogue's thrashing body from striking out, sending an urgent telepathic cry for help. Xavier broke his contact with Carol and attacked her full force.

                Remy smiled and nodded. "Da's it, Cheri. Yo' been practicin', ain' yo'? Usin' da tips Remy give yo', righ?" 

                Kitty nodded eagerly, a wide grin on her face, so proud she was doing better in her French. "Yea! Like, they totally helped! The teacher almost freaked when she heard me! It was great!" She giggled and Remy chuckled along. 

                "Well, yo' sho' doin bettah." Kitty nodded again and scooted a little closer to Remy. 

                "So, um, let's take a break now, ok? Now, tell me all about what happened with Rogue! Like, what happened when you guys disappeared on campus, and why'd you leave? Someone said they saw you sneaking into the girls' dorms, or out, somethin like that, so, what were you two doing? I promise I won't tell anyone!" 

                Remy blinked and sighed. "Nuttin' happen, Cheri. Remy jus' had ta apologize aftah losin' his tempah on dat walk... dat's where we was when we 'disappeahed'." 

Kitty sighed and pouted. "Well, at least tell me why you hooked up with those freaks who attacked everyone!" Remy frowned and flicked her square in the forehead, making her blink, not quite sure what happened. 

                "Dose people dey attacked t'ink yo' a freak too, Cheri. De Morlocks jus' wan' ta be in peace, but dey keep gettin' killed by dose mutant hatahs." Kitty blinked again, then laid back with a heavy sigh. 

                "Fine, I'm sorry... So, if nothing happened with you and Rogue, then, like, why are you back?" Remy chuckled. 

                "I's Remy dat shoulda been payin bettah attencion, he no see when Leech stop makin' da othah powahs stop." 

                Kitty sat forward again, curious. "You mean it was one of them that did it? And you actually touched Rogue without getting hurt for awhile? Wow! That's like, a first! I bet she loved it!" 

                Remy blushed and looked away. "When did yo' chil'en get so nosey?" Kitty giggled and shrugged. 

                "Just what makes me special I guess!"

                Carol, whatever type of mutant she may or may not have been, couldn't withstand Xavier's attack for long, which resulted in a sort of psychic knockout.. similar to what Jean did to Rogue earlier. With Carol subdued, Xavier was allowed to see past her and into the back of Rogue's mind. The other entities - weaker - seemed dormant, and Rogue's psyche itself seemed to have lost its way... 

                Gently, Xavier coaxed it forward, while at the same time pushing Carol further back.. They couldn't afford to have her take control again before Rogue woke up. Xavier opened his eyes. The monitors beside him recorded an increase in brain activity. Rogue was dreaming, and her consciousness was restored. Jean looked at the Professor hopefully.

                "Will she be alright?"

                He smiled and returned her hopeful look.

                "She is simply resting now.. By morning she should be as good as new." Well, as close to new as having Carol would allow her. "Come, we'll let her sleep, and it is getting late."

                Remy softly closed the door to Rogue's room. He knew he shouldn't be there, he should be in his room like a good little boy. He had a problem with authority, though, and always found himself on the wrong side of it. Though, the guilt had a bit to do with it too. He carefully searched the darkened room for a chair and pulled it up next to the bed. With a sigh he leaned back, watching her in the dim lights of the monitors. Eventually he would doze off, but he'd watch her as long as he could, just like he said he would.


	10. Chapter 9: Some Light Conversation

Chapter 9: Some Light Conversation

                God, her head hurt, like someone had given it a thorough beating with a golf club from the inside. Beep, beep. Her body felt drained, the skin on her hands slightly tingly. She didn't feel like opening her eyes. Beep, beep. That noise was getting on her nerves though.. The alarm clock? No, she refused to go to school. Beep, beep. Try to ignore it, Rogue... Beep, beep. God damn it. 

                With a faint sigh, Rogue lifted one hand to her face, frowning at the glaring light of the monitor as she peeked one eye open.

                Remy mumbled in his sleep, slouched in the chair. It couldn't have been very comfortable, but still he slept on, oblivious to Rogue's recovery.

                Rogue shot both eyes open at the sudden sound, despite the pain it caused. She looked to her left to see a sleeping Remy. What was he doing here? For a half moment she thought she'd been taken back with the Morlocks.. but this was definitely the ward. She looked back at Remy, trying to recollect.. He was there, with those people.. They killed that man. They struck down a mutant.. To her they were terrorists, the bad guys, but she vaguely remembered Remy trying to explain. She didn't hear it, though. 

                He was touching her. It was a sensation she hadn't felt in years. How was it possible? She reached a hand out tentatively towards him before noticing it was gloved. She hadn't got control over it, after all. That's right.. Remy was touching her, and then everything became chaos. She must have absorbed him, but she couldn't feel him anywhere in her mind. Confused, Rogue covered her eyes and tried to remember the previous day.

                Remy mumbled again and shifted in his sleep... right out of his chair. He hit the ground with a solid 'thud' followed by rapid curses in Creole. The Spanish tones showed through just as clearly as the French, though it would be hard to discern what he said without knowledge of both languages. After a bit he climbed to his feet, rubbing the side of his face, bright red from smacking into the floor.

                When he saw that Rogues eyes were closed he sighed and sat down heavily. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, head in his hands, to watch her. 

                "When yo' gonna wake up, p'tite?"

                Rogue's eyes opened suddenly at his voice, to see Remy a little less together than he usually was. She didn't remember what had happened after he touched her, but she only remembered being mad at him before that.. For leaving.. that was her fault, right? And for joining that group.. he had some kind of reason for that too. She just looked at him blankly for a moment, not sure what to think or say.

                Remy blinked, shocked at what he saw. He wasn't quite sure if it was a hallucination or not, so he scooted the chair closer to the head of the bed and leaned even closer. 

                "Cheri? Rogue? Is... Is yo' really up?"

                She turned her head to the side, holding one hand to her forehead.

                "Ah course Ah am.." His voice was a little bit louder than her pounding head could stand. "Let's keep it down, huh?" Carefully she moved to sit up.. She didn't want to lie down while he was here, it was like a position of weakness.. Not that being in a hospital bed practically disabled wasn't enough.

                He grinned and sat back a bit, his voice a bit softer when next he spoke. 

                "Remy glad yo' all right... He didn' know wha' he'd do if yo' didn' get bettah... He awfully sorry 'bout touchin yo' too long... He didn' know dat Leech - he da one dat took away yo' powahs - He didn' know dat Leech had stopped..." He sighed and shook his head a bit. "Remy stahtin' ta soun' jus like dat Kitty..."

                Leech, the name of one of the supposed terrorists. She'd question him about that, but she didn't feel like getting into that now.. She was far too tired. 

                "What are ya doin' here? Ah thought you'd left the institute."

                Remy blushed slightly and stood from his chair. He walked over to the monitors after a little hesitation and became very interested in them. 

                "Well, Remy jus' wan' ta make sho' yo is all right..." He reached up and pulled the ribbon out of his hair with only a bit of trouble and stuffed it into a pocket. "Yo' know how Remy is..."

                Rogue watched him before looking down at her hands. He touched her. The thought crept unbidden into her mind. But she didn't want to think about that either. Not now, not with him.. 

                "Ah can't say Ah do.." There wasn't really much to say. In her last conscious state she'd fought him, meaning to hurt him.. and she did remember getting a few good hits in. Not to mention the less than friendly terms with which they said their goodbyes. There was so much uncleared air. Logan had suggested talking, but what the hell did he know about that? Still, she trusted his advice more than anyone else's.

                "Look.. Ah'm sorry for the way Ah acted. Ah didn't mean ta hurt ya. Well, Ah did, but.. Ah shouldn't have."

                He chuckled and waved a hand. "Don' yo' worry bout it, Cheri. Weren' yo' fault none. I's like Remy said, Remy jus' trouble. Dis da stuff dat Remy be talkin' bout." He shrugged and moved on to something else in the room, giving it the same careful inspection as the monitors. "I's jus watah undah da bridge, dough, as long as yo' can fo'give Remy."

                Rogue watched him as he concentrated on looking at anything but her. 

                "Ah can. But Ah don't think you're trouble. Believe me, Ah'd be in the same sort of trouble whether ya were around or not." 

                It was true. It certainly wasn't the first time her powers caused her to nearly kill one or many people.. And it probably wouldn't be the last. She clenched one fist, then the other. Can't will it away.

                Remy smiled and glanced back at her. 

                "Dat's sweet o' yo' ta say, Cheri... So, is dat..." He clears his throat and does his best to break away from the accent and sound a bit more clear. "Psykeek entahtey, or whatevah da Prafessah say, it still in yo' head?"

                Her expression darkened perceptibly. She especially didn't want to think about Carol. Rogue remembered the first moments after Carol had been completely absorbed.. she was screaming, sending her mind in circles, verbally abusing Rogue for an act she had been forced to do.. Then she was silent.. Rogue glanced up.

                "Wait, how do ya know about that?"

                It didn't occur to her that Carol had been responsible for yesterday's events, until now.

                "Oh.."

                Remy wandered back over to her bedside, though still kept his eyes mostly elsewhere. 

                "Dat's how we felt aftah dah Prafessah say it too. He tell Remy ta stay an' watch yo' while da othahs was at school, dough since yo' is awake, guess Remy don' need ta do dat." He sighed and shrugged. "Guess Remy can get himself back ta de Mo'locks... Wouldn' wan nuttin ta happen ta dem.'"

                Rogue glanced back down, slightly hurt but not showing it. He'd taken the effort to come back to the institute he'd abandoned to see if she was alright.. a nice enough gesture.. but now he was just going to leave again? To protect the Morlocks? From what she saw, they didn't need very much protection...

                "So ya leavin', just like that?"

                He blinked and looked at her, really looked at her, searching her features, not quite sure how to respond right away. Soon enough, though, he grinned. 

                "Yo' gettin' a li'l soft place fo' ol' Remy, p'tit?" He chuckled a bit and shrugged. "Remy maybe stay fo' a piece, don' wan' ta be rude ta de Prafessah fo' lettin' Remy come back... Shouldn' jus up an leave de next day, should he, Cheri?"

                It was her  turn to smirk. "Well it would disappoint the Professah.. "

                As the conversation progressed past yesterday's events and other touchy subjects, Rogue began to feel better. Quickly she peered around Remy out the window which led to the Beast's lab. 

                "Is Dr. McCoy around?"

                Remy looked around and shrugged. "Remy don' see him, he jus' woke up, Cheri... He ain' jus knowin stuff out o' nuttin." He sat back down in his chair and sighed. "Remy sho' da Prafessah send someone soon as he t'ink yo' need it. Yo' jus have ta settle fo' Remy."

                "As nice as that would be.." She glanced toward the lab once before looking down, ripping off the monitor pads one by one.. "Ah can't stand ta stay here n'more. ..Ow." She took the last one carefully off her right temple. "Ah need ta find some aspirin first."

                For the first time she noticed that she was still wearing the same clothes as the day before, so threw off her covers without hesitation and swinging her legs over the side.

                "Help me up, wouldja."

                He stood quickly and offered both his hands to her. "Yo' got yo'self bit o' a headache, Cheri? Li'l tomato juice an' chili powdah take care o' dat right away. Ol' Cajun secret, Cheri, don' tell no one." He chuckled as he helped her up.

                She took both of his hands and pulled herself up, floor cold on her bare feet. Food was beginning to sound very appealing as well. She could really go for some pizza.. or better yet, peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Her favorite. The thought made her pause. She hated peanut butter. Then why..? Shaking her head, Rogue tried to make her way to the kitchen without help from Remy.

                "Ah think Ah just need some water."

                He nodded and made sure she was steady on her feet and, like any true southern gentleman would, opened the door for her. 

                "Remy sho dat everyone be happy ta see yo' up an' walkin', Cheri. Yo' may wan ta t'ink 'bout stayin' away from yo' room an' yo' roomate till dat headache is gone, dough." He grinned and followed her to the kitchen. "She got plenty o' questions bout yo'self an' Remy."

                "What!?" She turned her head suddenly to look at him with a shocked expression, which quickly turned into one of annoyance. "Eurgh, that girl has been readin' too many dime novels. It's not her place to go insinuatin' things about other people." Opening the cupboard she found a tall glass, and some aspirin in the drawer. She put the glass under the faucet, letting it run a while to get cold. 

                Remy gasped and rabbed his chest over his heart, falling back and putting a hand on one of the counters as if to keep himself balanced. 

                "Yo' breakin' Remy's heaht, Cheri, he jus' can' take yo' turnin' him down ovah and ovah." He couldn't keep a straight face for long, though, and soon fell to a fit of laughterr, which quieted to his regular grin. "Don' worry, Remy set her straight, he jus' don' think dat's gonna stop da girl from askin' dose same questions of yo'."

                Rogue felt reconciled enough with Remy not to give him her trademark look of disgust at his suggestion, so settled for one of mild disamusement. She rolled her eyes at the thought of Kitty bombarding her with questions that had no foundation.. well, maybe they did. 

                "Ah know she will. It's gettin' the girl ta shut up is the trick." She checked the dosage on the back of the aspirin bottle. Two. Hm. Rogue popped three in her mouth - she didn't think the aspirin manufacturers understood the kind of headache she had right now... She took a thoughtful sip. "What _would_ make that girl quiet for awhile?"

                He shrugged and went to the fridge. He started to rummage about, just to check if they had anything that might spark his apetite. 

                "Yo' know da girl bettah dan Remy... A beau may keep her out o' yo' hair, dough, maybe yo' should try an' get da girl ta take interest in dat blue fuzzy one. Den she bug him all day."

                "There was this one kid from the Brotherhood she was sweet on for awhile.. Before he went n' tried to announce our identities to the whole town." Rogue took another sip. "Nah, if she bothered that one it'd cause some serious property damage. Which reminds me, ya never did answer my question from before."

                He came up with a mouth full of beef jerky. He closed the fridge and chewed, the rest of the strip of dried meet still in his hand. He swallowed then started to look for something to drink other than water. 

                "Wha question would dat be, Cheri?"

                Rogue hesitated, filling the silence with another long sip of her water. She remember how he reacted the last time she asked him, though it had been in slightly hostility... 

                "Well, Ah don't mean ta get ya riled again, but, why did ya come here in the first place?"

                He froze in front of a cupboard, hand resting on the handle, ready to open it, chewing another mouthful of jerky, all ceased at that one questeion. He swallowed and let his hand drop with a sigh. 

                "Don' go askin question dat yo' don' wan' da real ansah fo', Cheri... Dat's one o' dose questions."

                Rogue kept her eyes on her water, shuffling one foot across the floor. She'd thought maybe he'd be more willing to talk now, but she guessed he still didn't trust her, or something. Maybe some day.

                "Fair enough."

                Still, it was a prominent question that constantly came to mind when she was with him - especially after the way he reacted the first time. 

                He shrugged and turned toward her with a slightly apologetic smile. "If yo' have any ot'er questions fo' Remy, he be glad ta ansah, jus no' dat one... No' yet, Cheri." He continued his search, and eventually just settled for the water and a seat on the counter.

                Rogue shrugged, trying not to care. It made him less easy to trust, but she thought she could look past it for the time being.

                "Alright, here's a question for ya.. Are ya gonna go back ta school now?" She looked up at him with a pleasant, hopeful expression, though she wasn't exactly smiling. "Ah mean, Ah'll still help ya study if ya want."

                He thought he'd told her all ready about how Remy and school just didn't mesh, she just didn't seem to understand for some reason. He looked over at her and was about to answer, then stopped and thought again for a moment. He smiled and took a drink from his water. 

                "Remy t'ought he may try da schoolin again... Didn' give much chance da first time, aftah all."

                Rogue smiled, genuinely happy to hear him say that. She knew what he said about him and the school scene, but coupled with the other things he was saying to put himself down.. She didn't want him to feel any less of himself than he deserved. So if she could get him to do well in his classes, just like any other 'yankee', that'd prove her point. 

                "Besides, who else will give me a ride after school?"

                He chuckled and finished off his water and jerky before he stood, setting the glass in the sink. Someone else would wash it, eventually, he was sure. He walked over to her and smiled. 

                "Yo' know somet'in, p'tite? I's a real shame no one can feel yo' skin... i's real nice an' soft..." He grinned and winked at her.

                Rogue was taken aback by that for a moment. The mention of anyone touching her skin was a jarring and hurtful thought, but Remy was on her good side, trying to be nice. It made her think back to the few moments where she could actually feel his skin, the memory still vivid. But as soon as her expression changed, it brightened again, and she forced a slight chuckle before sipping her water.

                "Just don't let Logan hear ya say that.. You're already blacklisted."

                Remy shrugged, his confidence fully restored. He was back to being his old, cocky self again. 

                "No worries, all Remy have ta do is tell 'bout how ma p'tite would be so crushed if'n Remy was hurt." He put the back of his hand against his forehead, speaking in a bit higher tone. "Oh Logan, mon ami, please don' hurt Remy, jus' don' know what Ah'd do wit'out him."

                Rogue rolled her eyes, less annoyed than she used to be at such comments. She reached out to hit him in the ribs. 

                "In yer dreams, swamp rat." 

                Remy didn't have time to think up a snappy come back of any sort when who should walk in but Kitty Pryde. She froze in the doorway and looked at Rogue, then back and forth between them before she focused on Rogue once again. Suddenly she got the biggest grin on her face and ran back towards the dorms shouting for everyone to come see Rogue, because she was awake. Remy chuckled and headed toward the other exit from the kitchen. 

                "Remy gonna leave yo' ta de adorin' public, p'tite... Maybe he see you latah."

                Rogue blinked at Kitty's sudden entrance and hasty departure, inwardly groaning at the fawning and questioning that was sure to come. Still, it was sweet of them, and under her annoyance she did appreciate it. She looked at Remy briefly, smiling slightly.

                "Bye."

                As Remy turned to walk down the hall he was shoved against the wall, an arm barring over his chest with enough force to keep him pinned down. Logan's stubbly face soon followed, puffing cigar smoke into Remy's face. 

                "Let's go for a walk, bub." Remy didn't have much choice in the matter as Logan dragged him outside while the students came rushing toward the kitchen to see their unfallen compatriot.

                Kitty followed soon after Remy left - and his former presence didn't go unnoticed. 

                "Rogue! We're like, so glad to you're up! We were totally worried!" Rogue smiled. "Was there evah a doubt?"

                "Yes," Bobby pointed out. Rogue shrugged awkwardly. Concern and relief went around as the other kids offered to take her out or do something to celebrate, that is, as soon as the Professor would let her.

                Logan and Remy made their way out onto the lawn, Remy a tad tense because of the company. 

                "So, bub, I heard you fell in with a bad crowd there." 

                Remy shrugged, then shook his head. "No sah, Remy all ready tell da Prafessah, de Morlocks, dey ain' bad, dey ju-" 

                Logan held up a hand, "I don't care. Just be sure you're backin' the right people. Got it, bub, or do you need to take some notes?" Remy shook his head and Logan continued. "Now, don't think I haven't noticed you warmin' up to Stripes back there," Remy tried to interrupt, but Logan would have none of that. With a quick 'snikt' three bands of adamantium were right in Remy's face and quieted whatever he wanted to say. "You can't fool me, kid, you've got that smell about ya. But here's a bit of a warning for you: If you hurt her, and I mean in any way, you're gonna regret it." 

                Remy blinked, then grinned. "Well shucks Mistah Logan, dis po' bayou boy wouldn' nevah try an date yo' daughtah!" No laughs for that, though, just a cold stare from Logan's end. Remy swallowed and nodded and Logan nodded back, and 'snikt', the claws retracted. Logan patted Remy on the shoulder as he tossed the butt of his cigar. 

                "Just remember that, bub."


	11. Chapter 10: Showdown at the Big Game

Chapter 10: Showdown at the Big Game

                The sun had just set the night of the Big Game. The stands were overflowing with fans - Bayville was playing its number one rivals for the championship. The X Men were also in attendance - Jean, Scott, Kitty, Kurt, Rogue, Evan - with Ororo and the Professor. Jean waved enthusiastically at Duncan, the star quarterback, while Scott grimaced unnoticed. The game had not yet begun. 

                Rogue sat bundled up - the weather was slightly cold tonight - wearing a dark gray long sleeved shirt with a green hooded sweatshirt, black pants, the ensemble completed with her trademark combat boots, gloves, and a thin scarf. It was nice to get out - the Professor had made her stay indoors the past few days to ensure her health. She glanced around, not certain Remy would show up, but hoping so anyway.

                Remy was all ready there, of course, and had taken bets on the game from several people. He had plenty of time to waste, though, and had managed to get his folding card table here with a few lawn chairs. With just that he had a little poker parlor set up behind some trees, shading them from the large lights of the football field. Toad, Pietro, and Avalanche occupied the other chairs, and Blob had to settle for the ground as Remy dealt out the cards. 

                "All righ' now, mes amis, de game is seven cahd draw, de Suicide Kings is wild, ante be two dollahs, an' one dollah minimum on de raisin'." He picked up his hand once he was done and the game commenced.

                Kurt fidgeted in his seat. "Vhen is zhe game going to start?"

                "Like, calm down, Kurt. They're still making announcements."

                Kurt fidgeted some more before standing up. "I'm going to find somezing to eat."

                Behind the band stands there was a concession stand, but the line was way too long. Kurt groaned. He took to wandering. Glancing down, he noticed his clothes started to blur and flicker. Perfect time for his inducer to start going on the fritz! Kurt ducked into the shadow of the trees, tapping the watch wildly until his human appearance blinked back on. 

                "Phew.."

                Then a sound reached his ears, and the familiar odor of.. Todd Tolanski. Kurt followed his ears to the card game between the Brotherhood and none other than Remy LeBeau. Kurt teleported into a tree, watching with an amount of pleasure as Remy cleaned the Brotherhood out of their money.

                Remy swept back another pile of money. Each of the Brotherhood had some money as well, Remy wasn't dumb enough to win every game straight in a row. He'd leave on top, though, in the end. Then Toad narrowed his eyes on Remy as the Cajun shuffled again, and snap, out comes the tongue, right into the sleeve of his trenchcoat. Remy jerked back instinctively and out fall several cards, one stuck to Toads tongue. The others stood and Pietro sneered. 

                "So, trying to cheat us, huh? We'll show you. Blob, make sure that our buddy here is comfortable." Remy tried to get up and run, but the massive Blob soon shoved him back into his chair and held him there, using his massive bulk to pin Remy down in his chair. "Well boys, where should we start?" Pietro asked.

                Kurt's eyes widened. With a *bampf!* he was back under the bandstands.. Glancing quickly to see if anyone had seen him, then ran quickly up to where the others were sitting. Kitty blinked at him.

                "Whoa Kurt. Like, where's the fire?"

                "In zhe woods!" Kurt lowered his voice. "Zhe Brotherhood are in zhe voods with Remy. It doesn't look good." He didn't want to tell them why exactly Remy was there. That would be tattling, after all. Besides, it wasn't so important right now. Kitty, Rogue and the others stood. They followed Kurt under the bleachers, then held hands. *Bampf!* They reappeared just near where Remy was. Scott lifted one hand to his sunglasses.

                "Ready?" 

                "Whenever ya are," said Rogue. With that, the six X Men rushed the clearing. Evan popped a spike off at Pietro, his favorite rival, while Kurt teleporting on top of Blob's back, flicking him with his tail. 

                "Miss me?" 

                Kitty, given her past experience with Avalanche, attempted reason. "Lance, cut it out! We don't want to hurt you."

                The Brotherhood were all thrown off by the new distraction and Remy capitalized on it. Blob reached a hand up to swat at Kurt and Remy slid away from the other easily enough. He reached into his trenchcoat and out came his pole, which he quickly charged up before telescoping it straight into Blob's stomach. BAM! Blob teetered precariously backwards and Kurt teleported away. Remy was thrown back as well, right into Avalanche. A loud cheer came from the direction of the field, kick off. No one would hear them now with all the noise from the stands.

                Avalanche sneered at Kitty. "No chance, Kitty. This guy cheated us!"

                Avalanche took the opportunity to grab Remy, attempting to knee him in the back. Blob recovered from his wobble.. he wasn't the immovable for nothing. Toad, meanwhile, made a risky move. He leapt towards Scott, who missed a shot at him, and lashed out his tongue to snag his glasses. Scott moved back, eyes clamped shut. Jean concentrated, lifting Toad up and into a tree. Pietro dodged Evan's spike easily, zipping around to shove him onto his backside. He then zipped over to Rogue, though he didn't attack her. 

                "HeyRoguey, we-miss-ya-at-the-house." Rogue aimed a punch at his jaw before he zipped away again. Rogue instead ran at Avalanche, who started to create a tremor in response.

                Remy fell with an agonized groan after taking the knee to the back and scrambled away as he felt the tremor start. He saw Pietro coming and shoved his pole forward and, less than a second later, the agile Quicksilver was in a heap. Falling at hundreds of miles an hour was not a fun thing, after all. Remy spun, grabbing one of his cards from the ground, where they'd spilt off the table, and whipping it at Pietro as he climbed to his feet. He zipped away quickly, though, so Remy returned his attention to Blob. He rushed the behemoth and jumped. He shoved his pole down into Blob's huge gut and vaulted up, swinging his foot around to slam his new size 16 Timberland right into the Blob's fat head.

                The Blob was still recovering from Avalanche's continuous tremor, struggling to keep balance before a foot to the face made everything go black. He was stunned. Pietro got up a bit slowly for him, clearing his eyes of stars. He began to run a furious circle around Kitty, Kurt, Evan, and Jean, creating a cyclone of dried leaves and twigs. Jean tried to focus on Pietro's lightning fast form, lifting him up, his legs still pumping furiously. 

                "Oh man.."

                Rogue jumped into the air to avoid the tremor and landed right infront of Avalanche. He stopped just in time to grab her by both wrists, forcing her arms out to her sides.

                "Shouldn't have ditched us for the X Geeks, Rogue." 

                Rogue sneered as he began another tremor, strong this time, ripping up the ground beneath the four other X Men. She looked to her side at the few inches of exposed skin at the back of her hand where the glove had rolled up. She struggled, aiming a sharp kick at Avalanche's shin. It didn't do much, and it wasn't meant to. 

                He snarled and moved to twist her arm behind her back, which caused him to relocate his grip.. coming into contact with her hand. The color from his face drained and Rogue grimaced, trying to keep contact just long enough to render him unconscious.

                Remy jumped off of Blob as he started to fall, glancing down for a target. He had a perfect one as Toad freed himself from the tangled tree branches and jumped at Jean in hopes to free Pietro. Remy grinned and flicked a card from his left sleeve, charged, and whipped it at Toad. Bam! He rolled along the ground and Remy landed in a crouch. He closed up his pole and walked over to Toad. 

                "Shoulda checked de othah sleeve too, mon ami."

                Rogue pulled away as Avalanche slumped to the ground. Toad nursed a hurting arm on the ground, playing possum as Remy approached. Then he snapped his head up and lashed his tongue out to wrap around Remy's ankle, giving it a sharp tug. 

                Rogue looked down at her hands in brief mental overview of her borrowed power, then took aim at Toad. She sent a concentrated tremor at the ground Toad was on, a column of earth and rock jutting up and hitting him. Blob, blinking away the haze Remy's kick had rendered, picked up a huge fallen tree trunk and hurled it at Jean. She stopped it in midair, but Pietro used her lack of concentration on him to break free, zipping away and back to shove Jean into Evan. Blob took a few long strides and arrived at Rogue's back, snatching her up. He hesitated - he remembered the time they'd all spent together in Trask's prison, and she had been very kind to him. 

                With that hesitation his legs were bombarded by small explosions. Blob yelled and took a few steps back as the others cleared away. The fighting stopped as they all watched, breaths held... CRASH! A tremor to rival Avalanche's shook the ground. There was silence before Toad hoped up on his chest and looked down at him. 

                "Blob? You... fell..." Suddenly Toad was thrown by a powerful optic blast, thanks to Scott, who had retrieved his glasses. Pietro was again lifted off the ground by Jean to keep him immobilized, and Evan pinned the still unconscious Avalanche up against a tree. Jean tangled Pietro up like she had Toad, hoping his superspeed wouldn't help him out in that case. 

                There was another slight hesitation before Kurt teleported away and Evan ran, soon followed by Jean and Scott. Who knew what would happen if the Professor caught them back there? Or did he all ready know? It would be better to get back to the game, anyway. Remy took the hint as well, though he wasn't in quite as much of a hurry. He didn't see much of a need. He smiled at Rogue. 

                "Well, p'tite, looks like we done heah, le's go."

                Rogue was dropped to the ground as Blob fell, and she rolled quickly out of the way. Picking herself up as the others retreated, Rogue looked disapprovingly at Remy.

                "What did ya go and do now?"

                He grinned and shrugged. "Remy didn' do nuttin..." He picked up a few of his cards so he wouldn't be defenseless until he got back to the institute and headed off into the small woods nearby, rather than towards the football game.

                Rogue glanced between him, the Brotherhood, and the football game.

                "Nothin'? Like hell!" Rogue decided to follow Remy, running after him. The pulled her glove back into place and straightened her sweatshirt. There were leaves on her clothes and hair. "Where are ya goin'!"

                He didn't say anything, just chuckled and glanced back at her before dashing into the darkened tree cover, trenchcoat flying behind him. "Yo' jus gonna have ta come an see!" His voice rang from the woods, though not from any discernable direction. The game was on, now.

                Rogue stopped in her tracks for a moment, looking in all directions. It was getting slightly irritating, but she wasn't angry quite yet.

                "This is no time ta play hide an' seek, swamp rat! The Professah's gonna kill us!" Rogue darted forward again, scarf flying. What she'd give to have Logan's senses now... that guy could detect a chipmunk a mile away. Another cheer was heard from the stadium - Bayville must have scored, Rogue noted idly. 

                There was a rustling behind her, but if there was one thing a master thief was good at, it was not getting caught. Remy jumped up in the trees and quietly made his way from branch to branch as he slipped on a pair of gloves, then dropped down behind her. Grinning he tapped her on the shoulder. 

                "Behin' yo', p'tite."

                Rogue whirled around to come face to face with the Cajun. Still slightly high strung from the battle she lifted her hands, prepared to defend or attack. She remembered who she was with, though.. and kept them like that. Her face was slightly flushed, though one might not be able to tell under the makeup, but her breathing was quickened.

                "What do ya think you're doin', ya don't want the Professah ta come lookin' for us here. Ah just got outta the joint!" She didn't feel like spending another week being grounded.

                Remy shook his head and sighed. "Yo' need ta loosen up, Cheri. If'n he wan'ed ta make us go back ta de game he could all ready, an' he all ready know dat we be out heah. Dat don' mean he gonna be mad. I's like dey always say, p'tite, boys will be boys... Remy t'ink da Prafessah know dat." He grinned and leaned back against one of the tree.

                "Just because the Professah knows we're here, doesn't mean he doesn't expect us ta go back..."        Still, Rogue stood idly, looking around at where they stopped. The cheering was in the distance now, and she couldn't see any lights from the stadium or the parking lot - as a matter of fact, the only light came from the moon, about a quarter full. Rogue began to remove the leaves and twigs from her clothes and hair.

                "Ah just hope the Brotherhood doesn't get loose an' find us.. Which reminds me. Were ya doin' what Ah think ya were?"

                Remy had pulled out the cash he'd managed to grab before the brawl started, including a bit he'd snatched off the ground with his cards, then looked up at Rogue. "Dat depends, Cheri, wha' do ya t'ink Remy was doin?"

                "Well Ah really didn't have ta ask.." She tapped her temple. "It was still fresh 'n Lance's memory." She wandered in a small circle before leaning against the same tree to Remy's right. 

                "Ah'd scold ya, but we both know where that'd go." Self consciously, she readjusted her gloves and scarf, moving it around to cover more of her neck. She nodded at the cash. "How much did ya get?"

                He arched a brow and looked over at her, folding the money in half into a nice fat wad that he tucked away in his trenchcoat. 

                "Why yo' askin, Cheri, t'inkin o' comin ovah ta de Dahk Side?" He chuckled and shrugged. "Remy got hisself a nice new coat is how much Remy got."

                Rogue tugged at the worn collar of his coat, making a face. "Why, when the one ya got is so stylish?" Hmm. Hold on there, Rogue. Take a few steps back.

                "If you're so sure the Professah knows we're out here, doesn't that mean he'd know you were gamblin' again?" She smirked, looking at the sky with less than pure thoughts. "Hate ta think what'd happen if that got back ta Logan..."

                Remy shook his head. "Sho' da Prafessah know, he also prob'ly know everyt'ing bout Remy's past, jus' ramblin' bout in his head an all, so he don' really mind..." He shrugged, not completely comfortable with someone knowing that much about his past, and he hoped the Prof respected his privacy enough not to dig too deep. 

                "As fo' Logan... I don' t'ink Remy's gamblin' what he really worried bout... least, dat's not what he warn Remy fo'." He chuckled and grinned to himself. He wondered if Rogue knew how protective of her Logan was.

                Rogue wasn't aware of what Logan had said to him the other day, but had guessed from the way Logan had come to her room the last time she and Remy had that fight at the institute.

                "Yea, Ah'm sorry about that.. Ah guess it was easy enough ta tell from the way Ah talked ta him that we had a fight. He's just really... intense. He's not as bad as he seems, though. Ah remembered when Ah first joined the institute how he'd try ta talk to me, get me ta open up. But he wasn't patronizin' like everyone else. He's one of the few people who don't pity me for.. well, ya know."

                Remy arched a brow and turned to look at her more directly. 

                "Yo' don' mind if Remy be serious wit yo fo' a second, do yo', Cheri?" 

                He slid his hands into his coat pockets and pulled it a bit more closed, then looked around. He wasn't serious often, really, since most of the time he was either joking, flirting, or lying. He also didn't like to spread his bits of seriousness around too much, he had a reputation to uphold, after all.

                Rogue gave him a strange look at the question, wondering, afraid of what he was preparing to say. Good news, bad news, a facade? Rogue stood straighter, as if preparing to run.

                "Yea?"

                The Cajun grinned at her and shrugged before he looked up at the trees and leaned back against his tree again. 

                "Remy don' pity yo' none." 

                That was it. Perhaps a little anticlimactic, but to Remy, it was a deep glance into his soul, really. He just didn't share that often, and when he did, it was a big deal for him, no matter how trivial the information might be.

                Rogue paused, keeping her eyes on the ground. Well, there it was. Despite the way he tried to shrug it off, she could tell he was being very sincere. A little too sincere, in fact, for Remy LeBeau to ever act. It was a little disconcerting, but what he said was comforting. Logan had never really come out and said it - he was a bit too gruff for that sort of heart to heart thing - but everything in his actions said it all. 

                Still now, and whenever she thought about Logan, and the few others who didn't pity her, it made her feel more able to be herself, without having to build a wall around her against the people who always treated her with the same special regard they might give to someone less fortunate. It was the way she felt - less fortunate - but it felt good not having to think about it. Rogue leaned back against the tree, folding her arms around herself.

                "Thanks."

                Remy nodded and smiled. That had gone well. 

                "Don' go spreadin' round word dat Remy gone soft o' nuttin'. He jus' didn' wan' yo ta t'ink dat he like dose othahs." He sighed and jumped up to grab one of the branches. He grinned and swung idly as another faint cheer came from the game.

                Rogue glanced up and watched him, before reaching for a branch and pulled herself up, continuing to climb to the top.

                "The trees here are nothin' compared to down south.. There were these giant willows that grew down by the Pearl River.. We'd climb to the top an' jump off into the water." Rogue leaned out onto the bough of a high branch, almost expecting to see the rushing riverwater below. Another cheer resounded, and Rogue glanced into the distance, squinting. "Ah think Ah can see the scoreboard from here.."

                Remy started to climb higher as well. "What it say, p'tite?" He reached the top of his tree and sat on the sturdiest branch, still a bit lower than her. He didn't really have the view she did either. "An' yo' tell me if dat's good or non, cause Remy don' know de names o' de teams dat be playin."

                Rogue held onto the branch above her, stepping out a bit.

                "Bayville winnin' by six.. They're the favored team, but Ah suppose ya already know that."

                Rogue grinned and looked down at him. She knew him at least well enough to guess that Remy + football game = betting.

                Remy grinned and shrugged. "Like Remy say, Remy don' know nuttin' bout de football game... If de school's team got two ta one odds wit' a twelve poin' spread, Remy wouldn' know nuttin' bout dat neit'ah."

                Rogue actually laughed out loud, in full. It certainly wasn't something she did very often.. It was rare enough to see her smile. 

                "Ya were right, ya nothin' but trouble."

                Rogue stepped backwards to the tree base, sitting down to straddle the bough and lean against the trunk. Rogue looked down at the bark, running her gloved hand across it, trying to make out the cracks and ripples through the leather material. For all she knew, she'd suck the life out of the tree, too.

                "Ah have another question for ya.."

                Remy steadied himself and jumped, arms stretched out, toward her tree. He caught a branch a bit down and swung with the momentum, only to come almost full circle and freeze in a handstand on the branch. He blinked and wondered how he would get out of this position, then just moved forward a bit and let go. He fell and grabbed the next branch, then hoisted himself up. Now rightside up he proceeded 

to climb back up the lost distance. 

                "What's dat, den, p'tite?"

                Rogue watched his acrobatics with an amused expression. Give him blue fur and a tail and he'd be Kurt's equal. She hesitated some more before asking her question.

                "Why'd ya leave Louisiana in the first place? Unless that's somethin' ya can't answer..."

                That'd be her luck. She wasn't sure why she was asking either.. but she knew so little about him. She knew a fair amount about her other friends at the institute. Not that it really mattered whether Remy wanted to talk about his past, but there were so many holes.

                He got up to a branch beneath her, then moved around the tree, getting up a couple of feet so he was at least closer to level with her rather than right below her. He sighed and leaned against the tree as he looked out toward the football field. 

                "Dat's a bit... personal, p'tite..." He hesitated, whether he should continue, though she'd been a bit more relaxed with him now... "Dough, Remy guess dat Remy's père have some ta do wit' him leavin'... He jus' push Remy in a way Remy didn' wan' ta go, so Remy jus' chose his own way."

                Rogue nodded, watching the lights from the stadium. She suddenly felt bad for prying - no doubt Remy's past was pretty.. dark, in some ways. It wasn't any of her business.

                "Ah see. Ya don't have to talk about it if ya don't wanna. Ah was just wonderin'." Another few cheers resounded from the stadium, and the marching band struck up. Rogue glanced at her watch. "It's halftime already?"

                Remy smiled, as he didn't really want to elaborate about his secreted marriage, and the horrible consequences afterwards... his father should have seen something like that coming and known the marriage was a bad idea... oh well. 

                "Guess so, cher, yo' wan' ta go back ta de game, o' ya gonna stay wit' Remy in de nosebleed seats out heah?"

                Rogue shrugged. She really didn't want to leave.. No doubt Kitty would have more questions. But if she didn't, they'd no doubt come looking for her to make sure the Brotherhood wasn't hassling her, and then they'd find her and Remy here, and.. well, they'd have plenty to question her about then.

                "Ah need ta go back.. Ah'll tell them Ah was talkin' ta Rahne." Rogue stood up, preparing to climb back down.

                Remy nodded and checked out the score board. "Remy prob'ly show up round da last qua'tah, less de othah team makes a comeback, den Remy see yo' back at de mansion." He chuckled and shrugged. "Besides, Remy really love dose hot dogs dey be sellin'."

                "Don't eat too many. Hate ta have a pudgy thief on our hands."

                With that, Rogue dropped down from branch to branch to the ground, jogging back to the stands. She was met with a group of questioning looks, though the Professor just smiled, and Rogue sat down to watch the second half show.


	12. Chapter 11: Fun in the Sun

Chapter 11: Fun in the Sun

            Several months had passed since the end of the football season, Bayville champs once again. Things had continued on smoothly enough, Remy periodically checked up on the Morlocks, but mostly let the Prof handle them. No public displays so far, and no other attacks on their lairs. He continued flirting with Rogue as well, but had still kept his emotions largely bottled as he was wont to do. 

            Now school had been let out and Xavier showed all the kids the surprise that had been hidden under a tent in the backyard the past few weeks: A huge pool. Three heights of diving boards, a few lap lanes, shallow and deep ends, even two different waterslide. It was great, everything the kids wanted. And to day was the barbecue pool party to kick off the pool opening. Boy, were the students excited.

            It was late morning, most of the kids already at the pool. Rogue sat on her bed while Kitty got ready.

            "Come on Rogue! You can just, like, lie in the sun! Get a tan! Why not give the pasty look a rest?" Rogue looked up at Kitty, who was sporting a bright pink bikini with a lime green wrap, sunglasses on her head. "You can borrow my long skirt if you want."

            Rogue just shook her head. "Ah don't feel like it.. Go have fun, Ah'll see ya later."

            Kitty looked at her pitifully, but quickly checked herself and gave a bright smile for Rogue's benefit. "Alright. You know where to find me!"

            And with that, she left. Rogue sat for a while before turning up the volume on her CD player, picking up her sketchbook to walk out on the balcony, and taking a seat on the ledge against the wall. She could see the pool clearly from here, and she watched the students swimming and sun bathing and throwing each other in the water. She tried to think about her music, though, and began to draw figures sporting swimsuits and saris.

            Remy was with his usual followers slash cash-machines as they talked in hushed, conspiratorial tones. Remy gave them all four to one odds that he could beat them in a diving contest, quite glad that Kurt was otherwise occupied, out with Logan and Ororo to pick out the treats they'd grill up later. All he needed was a judge that would be sure to pick him. 

            "Yo' all go on an' practice, cause yo' gonna need all de skill yo' can mustah." They snorted and guffawed and generally acted unafraid of the challenge. Of course, they did go about practicing, doing the best stunts they could off of the high dive. Remy went on the prowl and saw Kitty just as she stepped out. He walked over to her and deftly slid his arm around her shoulder, then whispered to her quietly, rewarded with a little shiver and a big smile from the girl. This would be easy money, as always.

            Rogue looked up to see Kitty and Remy walking from the dorms, Remy whispering to Kitty suspiciously.. That boy was never up to any good. She then saw a group of boys meet him at the pool, his usual groupies whom he made most of his money off of. Rogue couldn't help but smile. Behind all the testosterone battles, she could tell that they genuinely liked Remy, and looked up to him. Hopefully he wouldn't be inspiring them to knock over liquor stores anytime soon. 

            He let Kitty go and clapped his hands. "Are yo' all ready, garçons? Dis gonna be one try, an' one only. Miss Pryde heah gonna be de judge, an dere's no complainin' if'n yo' lose. Yo' all gotta learn ta losel ike gentlemen." They all nodded and shook on it, then gave their money to Kitty to hold. 

            Remy was up first, as he would be the benchmark that they all had to go by. He got up on the high dive and stretched a bit, cracked his neck, until Bobby got annoyed and yelled for him to hurry up. He grinned, backed up, then ran, jumped and went into an astounding triple gainer with a nice twist. Kitty grinned and clapped loudly. 

            "That was, like, amazing!" The others got a bit nervous at that.

            Rogue watched from a distance, still sketching. From what she'd seen of his acrobatics, this was a hands down contest. She wondered how Remy would do in a *fair* contest... 

            Rogue looked between Remy and her sketchbook, starting a new male figure. She tried to copy his shape as he stood in the pool, waiting for the other boys to dive. The shape of his arms, the curve of his back, the muscles on his chest. She drew his hair as she remembered it, though, when it was dry. A reddish brown that fell around his face, but not quite covering his eyes. Hm, the eyes. She filled in pitch black where white should be, and a ruby red around the iris.. 

            Rogue stopped and looked at what she had drawn. A little too good to be true. With one last glance at the pool, Rogue tore the sketch out of her book and went back inside, tucking it into one of her art books. Slipping into her sandals, she exited her room and went down to the kitchen.

            We all know how the contest ended. Jamie actually had decent skills, but thanks to his talk with Kitty, Remy had it all in the bag. He got out of the pool and dried himself off before he collected his money from Kitty and put his arm around her shoulders again to lead her back to the mansion. 

            "Come on, cheri, yo' an' Remy gonna have dat cup o' coffee he promised." Kitty squealed and grinned.

            Rogue passed Logan in the hall.

            "Hey Stripes. Seen Gumbo around?"

            "No, Ah haven't."

            Logan nodded and went his separate ways to see the Professor. He didn't attempt to persuade Rogue to get some sun. He was sure she'd heard enough of that.

Rogue walked into the kitchen and took a spoon from the drawer. Reaching into the cupboard she found some peanut butter, taking off the cap with a slightly shaky hand. Taking a big spoon full she dug in, calming visibly. 

            Remy strolled in to the kitchen and grinned at Rogue as he let go of Kitty who excitedly got a pot of coffee going. 

            "Where yo' been, cher? Yo' missin' all de fun." He settle into one of the chairs at the counter and brushed his wet hair back. "Remy been showin' off fo' da li'l kiddies."

            Rogue unconsciously tapped the heel of her foot against the linoleum nervously as Remy walked in. She looked at him, a little disconnected.

            "When aren't ya showin' off? Ya had an unfair advantage, wouldn't ya say?"

            Kitty looked at Rogue as she prepared the coffee.

            "Do you want a cup, Rogue?" Kitty paused and noticed that the goth girl seemed to be giving off a lot of nervous energy. "On second thought, you like, don't seem to need it. Is that peanut butter?"

            Rogue glanced down at the jar she was eating from. Peanut butter. Squirming in place for a moment, Rogue shrugged.

            "But I like, thought you hated peanut butter." 

            Remy arched a brow and got up from his seat to walk around the counter. He leaned against it and watched Rogue a bit more closely. 

            "Yo' feelin' all right, cher? Yo' look a li'l high strung fo' someone who jus' been sittin' inside." He smiled at her, to try and encourage her to do the same while he puzzled over her behavior.

            Rogue shook her head, quickly putting the cap on the peanut butter and putting it away. Now that she thought about it, the peanut butter made her feel sick to her stomach.

            "Ah'm fine, Ah just don't feel like myself today.." How literal. Kitty walked over and handed a cup of coffee to Remy. She then smiled brightly, remembered something, and hoped the news would brighten Rogue up.

            "Hey Rogue, I like, almost forgot! Pietro called yesterday looking for you. He seemed totally in a rush to talk to you."

            Rogue quirked a brow. Why on earth would he be looking for her?

            "That boy's always in a rush."

            Remy sipped his coffee and chuckled, "Den i's no wondah dat he got no girl ta rush 'round wit." Kitty gasped and giggled, her own coffee warmed her hands . 

            "Maybe he's, like, after you, Rogue!" She giggled again and sipped at her coffee, then grimaced and started to search for the sugar.

            Rogue snorted at both their comments, walking to the fridge to find something to wash the taste of peanut butter from her mouth.

            "Ah ya kiddin'? That kid's the biggest playboy. He's sportin' three or four girls at a time."

She shut the fridge door, opening a can of citrus soda, taking a deep sip. "And Ah highly doubt he'd be aftah someone like me."

            Kitty sighed and rolled her eyes as she stirred in the several spoonfuls of sugar she'd dumped into her coffee. 

            "Don't be so hard on yourself, Rogue, you're like, totally mysterious, guys like that, and you have great cheekbones. Like, don't you think so too, Remy?" 

            The Cajun arched a brow and sipped at his coffee again. He liked it black. 

            "Don' go draggin' Remy inta dis, naw, Cheri. Sweet talkin' p'tite always get Remy yelled at, he ain' no foo'." He grinned and winked at Rogue.

            Kitty grinned. "Maybe that's part of your problem, Rogue. Maybe if you didn't, like, bite off a guy's head every time he flirted with you, you'd get a ton of dates!" 

            Rogue gave Kitty a bitter look. There was a big problem that had to do with it. Before Rogue had a chance to defend herself, the phone rang. Kitty jumped up and leapt at the phone.

            "Hello! Oh, hi Pietro..." Kitty beamed at Rogue, who made a few 'kill' gestures, not wanting to talk. "Oh yea, she's right here with me, hold on!" Kitty handed Rogue the phone.

            "THANK YA, KITTY."

            Rogue put the phone up to her ear, walking a few paces away from Remy and Kitty to have some semblance of privacy.

            "What do ya want, Pietro?"

            "Magneto's back." Rogue paused.

            "What?"

            "Look-I-can't-tell-you-over-the-phone, I'll-meet-you-here-at-noon." Click. Rogue glanced at the phone before hanging it up. Kitty looked at her expectantly.

            "Gawd Kitty, he didn't ask me out if that's what ya wanna know."

            Remy chuckled and finished off his coffee. 

            "So yo' gonna go runnin' off ta play wit' yo' othah friends, p'tite? Aftah all dat criticizin yo' did bout da company Remy was keepin?" He set the cup in the sink and hopped up on the counter.

            Rogue shifted uncomfortably in place. Magneto was back? Okay, but why was he telling her? Wasn't this something Professor X or Logan should know about?

            "Listen.. Ah need to go see Pietro and Ah need to find a ride."

            Kitty's arm shot up excitedly. "Ohh, I'll totally drive you! Mr. Logan says I've, like, totally improved!" The look on Rogue's face betrayed a fair amount of trepidation.

            Remy chuckled and leaned back a bit on the counter, propped up on his hands. "Hmm, now, Remy wondah who been able ta drive since he leahned ta lift cahs when he was ten..." He looked at the ceiling and pondered this, still all sexy and half-naked, grrr, look at those abs, oh yea.

            Rogue shot him a look as Kitty's face dropped in sudden realization, which she then shrugged off. 

            "Well I just remembered, I'm not allowed to drive people that, like, don't have licenses! Sorry Rogue." Kitty grinned inwardly. Nothing like Remy being way obvious!

            Rogue looked at Kitty in an odd way before resigning.

            "Ah can take a hint. Get dressed, swamp rat, we can take Kitty's car." Kitty blinked, and Rogue winked at her as she grabbed her keys off the counter.

            Remy beckoned Kitty over with a bend of his finger and leaned in next to her ear, whispering quietly for a bit. She looked reluctant, then took her chin in his hand and turned her head, then gave her a soft kiss on the lips, not very long, but the girl melted. She was stunned for a moment then ran off towards the guys' dorms. Remy just grinned.

            Rogue froze at the display, watching the two of them blankly. Her mind blanked as well, but there was a tiny part of it that flared up in anger. She blinked once, then twice as Kitty ran out of the kitchen. Rogue tried to move from her spot before she found she couldn't. She turned her head, then her whole body, towards the door.

            "Ah'll just.. wait in the car."

            Rogue walked out with haste, thing that she could really go for some peanut butter right now...


	13. Chapter 12: Suspicion

Chapter 12: Suspicion

            Remy sighed and shook his head, only to appear a few minutes later with his coat, boots, and shirt on. He leans against the passenger side door and looks in at Rogue with a grin. 

            "Bonjour, mon charmant, wha's a pre'y li'l t'ing like yo' doin' in a place like dis?"

            Rogue just folded her arms and looked straight ahead, trying to think more about Pietro's message than about Remy's little gesture with Kitty.

            "Ah'm not in the mood, Remy. Can we just go? Ah wanna get this ovah with."

            Remy sighed and walked around to the driver's side, cursing himself silently as he stepped in and got the keys from Rogue. Minutes later they were on the road, Remy's near-reckless driving had them going at a nice pace. Finally Remy broke the silence.

            "Why yo' mindin' wha' Remy do, p'tite?"

            Rogue had made sure to buckle up after Remy peeled out of the driveway. How could she forget that he thought he was some kind of stunt driver? Her mind was still trying to wrap around Pietro's call, wondering even more why he decided to tell her and not someone else more.. important. She was trying her damnest not to think about other certain things, until Remy suddenly questioned her. Rogue gave a ragged sigh, leaning one elbow on the window.

            "Ah don't know what you're talkin' about."

            "Remy not stupid, p'tite, he saw dat yo' didn' like him kissin yo' li'l friend. Ain' no secret, yo' ain' dat sneaky, aftah all." He reached out and put a hand on her leg, more near her knee so as to be not too inappropriate, and gave it a little squeeze. 

            "Yo' don' have ta worry bout nuttin', p'tite, yo' still da only gal Remy gonna bug wit'out end." He glanced over at her with a little grin. "He jus needed Kitty ta go an' get Remy's t'ings. Dat's all." He had to take his hand off her leg to take a particularly hard turn without sideswiping a Mercedes.

            Just in time to have Rogue not shove it away. She crossed her leg over the other, purposely moving it away from him.

            "Look, Ah don't care _what ya do with Kitty, but if ya just do it to make her do things for ya, then Ah don't appreciate ya manipulatin' my friends." Angry Rogue was back, and she looked at him pointedly. "An' despite what Kitty would have ya and everyone else believe, there is nothin' goin' on with us! So just drop it."_

            He sighed and shrugged. "Jus' tryin' ta help, p'tite." He pulled up outside of the apartment building the Brotherhood took up residence at and parked it. "Here yo' are, wan' me ta wait fo' yo' ta come back out?" He looked up at the building and the surrounding bad neighborhood, then back to her.

            The only answer he got was the slam of the car door as Rogue got out. She took a glance around before walking up to the house and knocking on the door. Pietro was there in an instant, an annoyed, grim look on his face.

            "You're late."

            Rogue just walked past him, looking around. "So sue me. What's this about, Pietro?"

            He zipped around to her front.

            "Like I said before.. Magneto's-back-and-he-has-information-about-the-Sentinels."

            Rogue watched him for a minute, half suspecting something to be up his sleeve.

            "So why are ya tellin' me about this? Why are ya tellin' me at all.. Especially after the little stint at the football game?"

            Pietro shrugged, tapping his foot rapidly. "You-know-we've-always-had-a-soft-spot-for-you-Roguey. Besides, do you really think any of those X Geeks would listen?" 

            Rogue shrugged. "Fine then.. What kinna information?"

            Remy frowned and shook his head. Something wasn't on the level. He should know, after all, since he was usually the one who tilted the playing field accordingly. He drove the car around the block and parked it again. He made sure to lock it and set the alarm before he jogged back to the house, to look for a proper place to look in on.

            Pietro wandered into the living room where Blob was sitting in the corner, looking more or less depressed. Rogue looked vaguely concerned. Whatever Magneto had to tell probably involved him too, he was there. Pietro motioned for her to sit down, but she shook her head.

            "Come on Pietro, just spit it out. What information, and what does it have to do with me?"  Pietro shook his head and got straight to the point.

            "Trask was working for some military organization looking to train mutants to be killing machines. The Sentinels captured a select few mutants to use as part of their testing.. I guess Gambit and Pyro and that metal guy were hired by Trask to do his dirty work. And now you're housin' that French maniac?"

            Rogue considered it before shaking the thought from her head.

            "Whatever, Pietro. That has nothing to do with it. Is that all?"

            Pietro frowned, fidgeting as if it were an effort to keep in one place for too long.

            "You don't remember too much about the testing, do ya Roguey?" Rogue waited for him to get to the point. "Well, Magneto enlightened us on some of the tests that were done on mutants. We thought you might like to know what happened to you."

            Remy found a place to look through the boards where he wasn't too noticeable and hunkered down to get everything he could. When he heard mention of Trask he frowned. What if they told Rogue about the things he'd done? 

            That would pretty much destroy any chance he had with the girl. Even if he couldn't touch her he still thought he had some chance. That didn't matter right now, though, he had to concentrate to listen in on their grand news of what Trask did.

            "You absorbed a girl. You must know that. Her name was Carol Danvers. We don't know what connection she had with Trask, but she was a mutant. Trask wanted you to absorb her powers."

            Carol. She'd been pretty dormant the past few months, ever since Xavier repressed her. She'd be inactive as far as Rogue knew.

            "But Ah don't have any new powers.. Why would he want me to have them?"

Pietro glanced at Blob - he knew he was sensitive about talking about Trask and the lab - before continuing.

            "We don't know what her power was exactly.. something to do with making you fight better. If I knew I'd tell you, Rogue. But Trask wanted to make you, and others, into fighting machines. With your power you could absorb all kinds of secret information, knowledge, skills, powers - permanently. You'd be unstoppable, Rogue, and they wanted to use that."

            Rogue's gaze wandered as did her mind. It couldn't all be true.

            "Why are ya botherin' ta tell me now? Trask is gone, it's over with."

            "Trask is gone, but not the organization. Magneto thought you should know, your professor too, in case they try something again. Blob agreed that you oughtta know.. He knew he had trouble not knowin'."

            Rogue glanced at Blob, who was still staring out the window thoughtfully. No doubt he'd received news of his own that was just as troubling. Rogue thought some more and turned to leave the house.

            "Thanks for tellin' me, Pietro."

            Pietro zipped infront of her again. "I'm still curious, Roguey. Why-is-that-Cajun-guy-stayin-with-ya? Aren't-ya-at-least-a-little-suspicious-of-him?"

            Rogue hesitated before walking around him. "Thanks for the concern, Pietro, but Ah can handle Gambit."

            Pietro leaned against the doorframe looking like his usual macho self, watching her go.

            "You know where to find me if you need me."

            "How sweet."


	14. Chapter 13: Trust

Chapter Thirteen: Trust

Gambit rushed back to the car and by the time she hit the sidewalk in front of the house it came peeling around the corner and stopped right in front of her as Remy opened the passenger side door. 

"Ready ta go, p'tite?"

Rogue looked at him strangely, if not a little suspiciously.

"Decided ta take a ride around the block?" 

She climbed inside, shut the door, and buckled up for dear life. Rogue had been able to forget the question that had been bothering her about Remy the few months.. Why had he come to the institute? He didn't need to be there, as he demonstrated when he went to go watch over the Morlocks. 

Once, for a half an instant, she'd indulged that he'd stayed there for her, but that was ridiculous. Only an idiot would go after a girl he couldn't touch. And today with Kitty, that didn't support it much. And now with what Pietro said.. She'd known before he'd worked for Trask, but never really considered what he might have done. Dirty work? That was a loaded phrase...

Remy smiled and tore off toward the mansion. 

"So, learn anyt'ing interestin', or yo' goin' ta keep dat ta yo'self?" 

He glanced over at her, the smile still on his face, though he couldn't ignore the way she'd looked at him. What if he hadn't heard everything they'd said and she knew? What if she told everyone else? Well, he could always go back to the Morlocks easily enough...

There was a day when Rogue probably would have told him what Pietro said. Back then, there was little reason not to - she had even begun to trust him, confide in him. It felt right. But now.. Now she was reminded that this man, this boy may have been one of the key contributors to her capture and experimentation. 

"It was nothin' important.."

It was soon obvious that they weren't headed toward a mansion. In only a couple of minutes they were back to the same dirt parking lot that he'd taken her to when he stole the French teacher's car. He parked, turned the car off, and took the keys from the ignition. 

"All righ', p'tite, Remy can' afford ta tiptoe 'round da mattah... Did he tell yo' what Remy did fo' Doc Trask?"

Rogue looked down into her lap, then out the window - anywhere but at him. Pietro hadn't said much, but Remy didn't know that. She could pretend she had some kind of advantage. But she wasn't like Remy, something in her mind noted bitterly.

"Nothin' Ah didn't know before.. Ya worked for him, doin' his dirty work. Ah can only guess as to what that meant."

Remy reached into his coat and slipped his gloves on, then put a hand against her cheek and turned her head to look into her eyes. He didn't let her turn away but looked right into her eyes, just to be absolutely sure. He couldn't afford to not be, after all. His path in life hung on a thread and he had to know what would come next, or he'd lose any advantage he had. After he was satisfied he pulled back and started the car up, then got back on the road toward the mansion. 

"Dat's good, den, p'tite... dat's good."

Rogue pulled away as soon as he'd let her, suddenly angry. What was that about?

"What, is there somethin' ya don't want me ta know? Like why you're at the institute, or what ya did for Trask?"

What was she, some kind of tool to him? A little voice in her pointed out that he might be sticking around just to get her trapped again. Why else pay special attention to her?

He glanced over at her and hesitated, breath held. Thoughts ran through his mind and he had to put full concentration on the right move. He nearly hit the car in front of them as it stopped at a stoplight, but zipped around it and through the busy intersection somehow without dieing. By then he'd thought of what to do and sighed. 

"Remy can trus' yo', p'tite... he pretty sho o' dat... I's jus' dat.. Remy ashamed o' some o' de stuff he done... He... don' like ta t'ink 'bout it... an' he don' wan' othahs ta t'ink 'bout it eithah..."

"Ya might be able ta trust me, but how do Ah know I can trust you?"

Rogue opened the car door and got out. It was uncomfortable talking about this in a place where she couldn't run away, if she felt the need.

"Ah'll be honest with ya, Remy. Pietro told me what Trask was up to, and what he wanted to do ta me. He also made me question why you're sticking around. How do Ah know you're still not workin' for those men? What am Ah supposed ta think?"

Remy sighed and got out as well. 

"Yo' s'posed ta t'ink Remy's awesome, jus like all de othahs... Yo' not naive, dough, and dat's a problem... Tell me, den, p'tite, wha' da yo' t'ink o' Remy? You t'ink he come 'round ta try an' do all dese bad t'ings, and so fo'th, and dat de Prafessah ain' know? Yo' t'ink he come ta get yo' back, and sit nex' ta yo' bed all nigh' an' jus' leave yo' dere wit'out kidnappin' yo'? Yo' t'ink Remy jus' bidin' his time fo' a bettah chance den dat? Cause Remy don't t'ink there would be one. So why do yo' think Remy tryin' ta do bad, anyway? Jus' cause Remy won' tell yo' personal t'ings? He really like ta know, cheri." 

He watched her expectantly, closely, but he was vulnerable again, he even shook slightly. He was definitely not happy to be doing this.

"Ah'm not 'naive', and that's a 'problem'? A person isn't supposed ta go aroun' charmin' people inta doin' what he wants! Look at Kitty, ya got her wrapped around your finger! Ya put on a show for everyone, but what's it for? How can ya not expect me to assume the worst just cause ya been nice ta me! We both know who ya worked for, why shouldn't this time be different?"

        It was true he'd had ample opportunity to kidnap her, or send her into the hands of Trask's men. And there were also times when he's been exceptionally kind. But Risty had been her best friend, and turned out to be Mystique. 

"Ya wouldn't be the first one to make me think they were my friend."

Remy frowned and turned away to lean against the car. He looked out towards the ocean, out onto the waves, thinking. He was silent for several minutes before he finally decided to say something. 

"Remy touch yo' befo', an' yo' musta taken somet'in, cause Remy was tiahed an' sick fo' awhile latah... So, p'tite, why don' yo' jus look into yo' head an' tell Remy why he's heah." He glanced at her for a moment, but then back to the ocean, one hand fiddling with a card, flipping it between his fingers absent-mindedly, the Ace of Spades.

Rogue watched him sternly, looking at the water as she thought. One of the most frustrating things about that experience was that she'd retained none of Remy's memories. Nothing about his past, or why he was here, or his motives, or even how he felt. The Professor explained to her why.. She could have killed Carol for that. Again.

"Ah would if Ah could, but she destroyed ya. That's what caused me ta lose it that day at the plaza. Ah didn't retain anything from ya."

"Well, p'tite, he don' know wha' ta tell yo' den. If yo' don' trus' Remy den tellin' yo' t'ings is no good." He sighed and charged the card in his hand and whipped it at a tree, the card exploding violently, larger than usual, making the tree collapse back with the others. "Remy jus' ain' nuttin' but trouble... He tell yo' dat ovah and ovah..."

Rogue crossed her arms and rested her forehead in her palm, fingers tangled in the white strands of hair. She remembered the last time he'd said that - he left. There were plenty of reasons why she couldn't, shouldn't trust him, and now Pietro's information put her safety on the line. But did she really believe that Remy would hurt her? There were simply too many times that she'd gone through betrayal, and each time reinforced her life statement: never get close, never care, never get hurt. And each time she did those very things. And now what, was she going to become some kind of mutant killer for it? 

"Ah can't do this anymore.. Ah don't want ya ta leave, but what am Ah supposed to do? Ah don't know what reason ya got for bein' here, but why else would ya be so nice ta me? Bein' a killer mutant soldier is the only reason anyone would pay special attention, so why else would ya be here besides that?"

He still didn't know how to answer. Remy just wasn't used to this sort of talk. He had to tell her, he wanted to tell her, he just didn't know how to. Maybe that was his father's fault, too, but he didn't want to heap so much blame on someone who had taken him in off the street, the devil child with a demon's eyes. They'd all been so scared. How then? That's when it came to him. 

"I'll show you, p'tite..." With that he vaulted and slid over the hood, getting back to his feet right in front of her. One arm went straight around her waist and he looked in her eyes. 

"Pull away quick, cher." 

He didn't give her time to question it and his other hand slid behind her head, pulled her close, and he kissed her. He just hoped she'd find what she needed and she'd be ok.

Rogue froze as the unnatural, non-feeling sensation filtered through her body from her lips. Out of instinct she'd pulled away, Remy needn't have said anything, but that's when the small part of Rogue's mind known as Carol rose up in the same violent rage she did back then. Rogue suddenly grabbed the lapels of Remy's trenchcoat, holding on for dear life as the battle between Carol and Remy ensued.

Rogue could feel her hands begin to tingle with a familiar feeling. If she let this continue, she'd be picking up pieces of Remy all over the parking lot. This time Carol wouldn't force her down. Rogue choked out a cry, bending all her will on subduing Carol. Remy's essence fought with her, but a tiny copy was no match for a whole being. Rogue could see small snippets of Remy's memories before he disappeared.. but she'd have to think of those later. Carol had focused her anger on Rogue now, and fought for control. A third source joined Rogue in the fight, and it wasn't too long before Carol was forced into a small corner of her mind. Rogue slumped, but was still awake this time.

Remy kept one arm around her waist and put the other with it. He pulled her up a bit and sat her on the hood of the car, though he still held her up. 

"Are yo' all righ', p'tite? Yo'... aren' hurt, are you?" 

He watched her carefully, his breath held, and he bit his bottom lip slightly. If he'd hurt her again... he wouldn't be able to come back.

Rogue put both hands to her forehead against the pressure that was building there. Her vision swam a bit also, but she felt alright besides that.

"Ah'm alright.. Ah don't know why that happens. It didn't happen when Ah absorbed Lance."

Gradually Rogue cleared her mind long enough to have a glimpse of the memories she'd absorbed from Remy.. they were choppy and mixed.. she didn't have a very long time to retain them before Carol destroyed him. She could see him as a child in the streets of the Big Easy, and a man, and then a dead man. There was a woman, too, beautiful with long hair. She then saw herself and the institute, and the Morlocks.

"Who is she?"

He looked down and took a deep breath. He didn't have to ask who the 'she' was. There had been only one woman from his former life that was worth a spot in the front of his memory. 

"She... Belladonna... Remy's ol' sweetheaht..."

That was easy enough to guess. Why wasn't he with her? Rogue opened her eyes to stare towards the sea, waiting for the darkness to clear from her vision. A numbness began to set in, and it wasn't from her fight with Carol.

"Where is she now?"

He shrugged and slowly moved back from her... He didn't want to crowd her, and he had started to feel a bit dizzy and queasy as well. His color had all ready gone and his face was still a bit ashy, though he seemed to have decent control of himself. 

"She back home, in Nawlins, at least dat's where Remy left her... He... Killed her brothah... Cause he challenge Remy..." He closed his eyes, an actual tear rolling down one cheek. "Yo' can' turn down a challenge, course... Only yella-bellies do dat... not de real men..." He shuddered and turned, only to fall to his knees and spill his guts, literally, right into the dirt.

Rogue jumped off the car hood, more or less recovered. She wasn't the one who suffered from using her power. 

"Remy! Are ya alright?"

Well of course not, she just drained him. Why did he have to go and do that? He could have been killed. Rogue stooped behind him, one hand gently rubbing his back, and she thought more about Belladonna. Why didn't he go back for her, or why didn't she come to him? Probably, she guessed, because there were certain nefarious characters making that a difficulty, but love always found a way, or something like that...

Remy spits a few times and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, then stood with a slight shiver. "Remy fine... he jus... don' like t'inkin bout his ol' life... Bes' ta jus' leave dose skel'tons in Remy's closet..." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then went back to lean on the car and looked at her. "Did yo'... find what yo' needed ta know, p'tite?"

Rogue stood and leaned on the car with him, looking back at the water.

"Ah think so."

The memories weren't very clear, but she could see that Remy was trying to lead a better life - even though he still participated in some less than legal gambling activities. But that wasn't really hurting anybody. She also knew that Trask didn't factor into it, the thing she'd most feared. What would happen now that she could trust him in full?

"Ah'm sorry for accusin' ya of bein' here for.. other reasons." The memory of what Pietro had told her came back again, and Carol's attack. "Ah just.. get so afraid that someone's out ta get me all the time, an' they usually are.."

He hesitated for a moment, but she must all ready know, so he slid his arm around her waist and moved a bit closer. 

"I's all righ', p'tite, yo' didn' have no reason ta trus' Remy... yo' do know, dat's what mattahs... An' he heah fo' yo', too... Don' have ta worry none..." He wiped the slight sheen of sweat from his forehead as his color started to come back a bit... at least she pulled away quick.

Rogue tensed up a bit as he slid closer. She hadn't got that part of the memo. Still, she could see the gravity of the moment, and they'd gotten to be friendly enough. Her head throbbed just trying to justify it. She didn't pull away, but she didn't lean into it either. Besides, he had some woman called Belladonna down south.

"Thanks."

Rogue turned her attention back to the ocean, her vision back to normal. Eventually Rogue gave into indulgence, though, and leaned her head on Remy's shoulder.


	15. Chapter 14: A Late Night Swim

                Chapter 14: A Late Night Swim

                Later that week, after a long day of lounging, swimming, and playing, the students of Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters were fast asleep. It was a hot summer night, a little past one in the morning, and the stars shone brightly above the grounds. They were the only light besides the moon to illuminate Rogue's path towards the pool. She was carrying a thin robe in her arms, and wore her normal clothes, creeping along silently in sandaled feet. 

                Setting her things down by the pool's edge, she glanced around quickly before disrobing. Beneath she wore a simple black two piece. Why someone who couldn't afford to bare so much skin even owned a bathing suit was anyone's guess, but Rogue did savor it for the few times she could be alone. 

                Looking around once more, she crept slowly down the pool ladder and eased herself in. Leaning back into the cool water, she closed her eyes and shifted her weight, sinking a few feet below the surface and totally immersing herself. She was perfectly relaxed - there was no one else here, no people she had to worry about accidentally brushing. Just her and the water - complete solitude.

                Remy walked back towards the guys dorms when he caught some movement in the corner of his eye. He dropped behind some cover and looked around toward the pool. He crept slowly forward and sat behind some bushes to watch the girl swim... It was Rogue. He grinned and suppressed a chuckle at the sight of her, out for a swim while there was no one around. Understandable, of course, but actually being witness to it was actually quite amusing.

                She broke the surface, catching her breath as she pushed her wet hair back from her face. Rogue had removed her makeup beforehand, which made it easy to see the flush in her cheeks due to the cold water. She lay on her back, gazing up at the night sky. Mosquitoes hovered above the chlorine water, and dragonflies dove down once in a while to take a drink. But she didn't have to worry much about bug bites, Rogue noted wryly.

                Remy stood slowly and moved around the bushes, that huge grin still on his face. He gave a catcall type whistle, like one might expect passing a construction site. 

                "Yo' shouldn' be out pass curfew, yo' know, cheri... Could be trouble." He wagged a finger at her and sat in one of the deck chairs, boots propped up on the side table that he pulled around in front of it. "Dat mistah Logan may show up an' get yo' grounded again..." He chuckled and folded his hands behind his head.

                Rogue started, straightening herself instantly and turning to look at him. Embarrassment at having been caught, as well as being so scantily clad, combined with the panic reaction that had become second nature to her, the fear that she would hurt someone. 

                Blinking rapidly to clear the water from her eyes, Rogue swam hastily to the side, hiding herself behind the side of the pool. "What are ya doin' out? You're breakin' curfew too."

                Remy shrugged and looked up at the stars; he didn't want to make her uncomfortable, after all. She didn't have the same opportunities the other kids did, so he wanted to let her experience all the stuff she could when she could. 

                "Remy don' really mind bein' grounded... nevah stops him from sneakin' away. I's a simple t'ing ta do, aftah all." Absent mindedly he pulled out his cards and began to shuffle them slowly, just to pass the time really. Old habit.

                "Ah shoulda known."

                Rogue swam along the side until she came to the ladder. With one quick glance at where Remy's gaze was averted, she pulled herself out of the water. She had gotten used to the water, and now the air was bitingly cold. Shivering slightly, she quickly pulled on the thin robe, which rose to mid thigh. She hadn't really anticipated meeting anyone, so covering herself hadn't been a main part of her planning. Walking over, she took a seat across from Remy, arms wrapped around her.

                "What were ya doin' so late?"

                He chuckled and leaned forward to show her the stamp on his hand. "Remy jus' was out dancin, s'all. He didn' t'ink dat he'd see anyone when he came back, dough. Mos' be sleepin' by naw." He dealt out a hand of solitary and started to play. "Guess dat's wha' yo' was t'inkin', too, hm?" He grinned. "Don' worry, Remy won' tell no one dat de goth likes ta go swimmin'."

                "Ah don't see what that has ta do with whether Ah like swimmin'. Ah like plenty of what most others like just the same."

                There was a time when she was a normal girl like any other, years ago in Mississippi. She swam, climbed, and danced like any other kid, minus the dark clothes and goth makeup. She'd even kissed that one time. The thought made Rogue smile bitterly to herself. It had felt normal, before her budding powers started to kick in. Why did they have to surface then, at that moment? Wasn't she allowed at least one whole kiss before she was doomed never to touch again? 

                He shrugged and continued his game. "Remy didn' say othahwise." He put together a few things and threw an ace up top then started to go through the deck. He played a card every few seconds, eyes on the cards, acting quite casual. 

                "So yo' don' like havin' othahs even seein yo' wit'out all yo' covah, hm? Remy don' wanna imply nuttin', jus seem dat way ta him."

                The question took her a second to comprehend. She thought the answer was rather obvious. Raising one eyebrow, she hugged herself even tighter, crossing one leg over the other self consciously.

                "It's not that Ah care that they see me, it's just the fact Ah don't have coverin'. Ah can't risk an accident."

                Still, his odd question made her think again. She didn't remember having been overly shy when she was a kid, but she was a kid after all.. She never really had to think of whether she was self conscious about her body because she never had the chance to expose it. 

                He chuckled as he put another ace up top, the game going at a nice pace now that he was into it. The right cards just seemed to show up every now and then, not really in an obvious manner, but in an extremely lucky one, you could say. He kept his eyes down on the cards except for a spared glance up at her. 

                "Well, jus' lookin' at yo' don' do no harm, p'tite... Jus' don' touch no skin, ain' so hahd. 

Besides, Remy got a trench coat, shirt, pants, an' boots on, ain' like he got much ta touch anyway." He shrugged again and finished off the cards, then started to slowly put the suits up over the aces. He hadn't needed to put any others than the aces themselves up there to make room the entire game.

Rogue watched his hands idly as he spoke, slightly entranced as she tried to follow the pattern he was making. Shaking her head a bit, she glanced back out across the pool and yard.

                "Ah know. But sometimes it just makes me feel better to know everyone else is protected. Accidents have happened..." She glanced down at the concrete ground, hair still dripping water down her back. A chill went up her spine. There were questions she still had about Remy, and now seemed like the perfect time to ask - anything to stop talking about herself and her powers.

                "So.. Do ya have any other family, besides your dad.. and that woman?"

                He hesitated momentarily, almost imperceptible, but anyone who watched close enough would be able to see that little tic before he put another card up with it's respective suit. Then he continued, taking a few seconds to think, before he nodded. 

                "All de t'ieves was like family... Remy ain' goin' back, dough, so he have no family, really... I's easiah tah t'ink like dat, keep all de othah t'oughts away..." He shrugged again as he finished up the game and dropped the cards into a deck, spades on top, then started to shuffle them again.

                Rogue found her hands suddenly interesting as she thought about his words. With what little else she knew about his reasons for leaving New Orleans, it must be painful to think about what he was leaving behind - his family, his love.. She steered her thoughts quickly to her own situation. She remembered leaving home for the first time, and why, how they'd reacted.. Her mother cried for several days, and her father wouldn't speak to her. She hadn't even had the chance to say goodbye to David, who was still in a coma... Rogue glanced up from her train of thought, looking up at the institute building.

                "Ah don't think that's true. Ya have a family now."

                He chuckled and shook his head as he dealt out a different game, though still a version of solitaire as he started to play once he had everything set up. This looked much more complicated, involving a pyramid of cards and math to match up pairs. A strange pattern appeared as he slowly wore away at the bottom of the pyramid without much difficulty. 

                "Da's nice of yo' ta say, cheri, Remy know dat he ain' really trusted, dough. He no fool. Sho', dey may act nice, but he know people, he can tell." He shrugged once more. "Don' bothah him none."

                Rogue glanced at him again, suddenly feeling bad. That couldn't be true.. Sure, the students might not have trusted him with their money, but Remy was a good person. He must know that, mustn't he? 

                "Ah wouldn't say that. The students like ya, and the Professor trusts and likes ya enough to invite ya ta live here - twice." She stood, holding her robe tight against the chill air. "Ah trust ya."

                He looked up at her with a smile. "Yo' a sweetie, p'tit, Remy knew dat all along... Isn't hahd ta tell da good ones, aftah all... Don' worry none, dough, Remy fine wit' who he is, an' he don' feel like changin' jus' so he be mo' accepted... An' de Prafessah have reason ta trus' me, he seen all de nooks an' crannies in Remy's li'l noggin." He wraps his head with his knuckles as this game finish up as well. "De res', dough, dey may like Remy, dey jus' ain' mature enough ta be able ta trus' someone like him. I's not deir fault, an' Remy don' blame dem... Dey jus' know dat law-breakahs supposed ta be bad people."

                "Their loss Ah guess."

                Rogue turned and walked back to the edge of the pool where she had left her belongings. She turned her head to glance at Remy out of the corner of her eye before shrugging off the robe. It wasn't so bad, she decided. No, this proved it, she wasn't self conscious at all... A few seconds too long pondering this, and Rogue quickly pulled back on her pants and sweatshirt. Okay, so maybe a bikini was too much too fast.

                He grinned as he put his cards away and pulled something else from his pockets, his hands hidden and rustling under his coat slightly. 

                "Aww, yo' sho' look cute like dat, i's a shame yo' have ta go an dress yo'self... Remy don' mind if yo' wanna swim mo', o' nuttin, yo' don' have ta worry bout him lookin' at yo. He be a nice guy an' jus' play his cahds."

                Rogue looked over her shoulder to give him a pointed look. Still, comments about her appearance aside, it wasn't really the same when there was someone else there. She didn't blame him for the interruption though - at least it was him and not another student, or even Logan..

                "It's alright, Ah was done anyway.. Ah have ta take a shower before Kitty wakes up. Can't afford to have her smell chlorine in my hair."

                He chuckled and nodded as he got to his own feet, hands in his pockets. "Well, den, Remy see yo' latah, cheri... He prob'ly need ta go back ta his room... He got some t'ings ta do..." He blew her a kiss and winked as he turned and headed for the dorms again, head bowed, eyes on the ground. He'd had a blush on his cheeks the whole time and made very sure that his hands stayed in his pockets. Odd, though Remy was generally an odd guy at times.

                Rogue watched him go, standing in place for a minute. She really needed to stop running into him like this.. Sooner or later Logan would catch them, and she was sure neither of them would be allowed to live it down. Not to mention Logan would claw Remy into shreds. 

                A light, chilly breeze reminded Rogue were she was. Stooping first to gather her belongings, she darted silently away to her dorm.


	16. Chapter 15: Mardi Gras Birthday

                Chapter 15: Mardi Gras Birthday

                Remy walked down the sidewalk. The Institute was in view now, and he smiled. He'd been away to see the Morlocks and everything was fine, at least for now. The Professor had put mental blocks up so that anyone that came too close to their hideout would be steered away in a happy coincidence. Everyone but the Morlocks, of course, and they still considered Remy one of their own. 

                He'd stayed over for two nights, helping to build some new beds, as a few for the younger Morlocks had started to rot away. Now he was glad to be returning, though he enjoyed his time with the Morlocks, he liked the Institute more... He would deny it if asked out right, of course, that was just how he was.

                Though it did not appear so on the outside, inside the mansion was abuzz. Students walked down the halls, back and forth between the kitchens to the ballroom, carrying food and black streamers and strange lights. 

                Upstairs, Kitty and Rogue were getting ready in their room. Kitty leaned into the mirror, puckering as she applied a dark shade of  purple lipstick. Her outfit was most certainly for a party, but a little flamboyant - but that was Kitty. Rogue's voice issued meekly from the bathroom.

                "Ah dunno about this Kitty, there's too much.. chest."

                Kitty was about to respond when Ronnie popped her head in. "He's coming up the driveway!"

                Kitty jumped up. "Oh my god! Like, stall him or something! This has to be a total surprise!"

                Remy punched his code into the keypad next to the gate and waited as it swung open. He liked to wait for it to go all the way, so it served its purpose in the world, and he could appreciate the luxury of the gate system. He'd always been taught to appreciate things. With a yawn he continued in, taking in the sight of the mansion as he returned. It always felt so nice to be returning somewhere, after so much running...

                Ronnie dashed away, down the hall, and outside. Evan moved to follow her, but she motioned frantically for him to stay inside. "He'll get suspicious!"

                Slipping out the front door, Ronnie tried to stroll casually down the walkway to deter Remy as long as possible, until Kitty gave the word.

                Meanwhile, Kitty added the final touches to her makeup. "Come on Rogue, I haven't even started your makeup yet!" Rogue wandered out, looking down at her dress.

                "Ah can't do this."

                Kitty looked up to see Rogue in the dress she'd helped pick out - and started to squeal uncontrollably in delight. "Rogue, you look totally awesome!" She walked forward to guide Rogue by the shoulders to her mirror, hands covered in old fashioned gloves of the Southern persuasion, to match her ensemble for the party.

                "But Kitty, there's way too much skin.."

                "Rogue, don't worry about it! You like, need to stop stressing, just for tonight! People know to be careful. Besides, it's for Remy!"

                Rogue shot her a dark, confused look. "Why would Ah dress like this for him?"

                Kitty just shook her head and grinned, silencing Rogue by starting to apply lip liner. She'd spent a month planning this for Remy, and part of her grand design included dolling up Rogue. It was a big night for her, too, Kitty decided. She wanted her friend to try and forget about her powers for one night and have fun like everyone else. Kitty was determined, and wouldn't take 'no' for an answer.

                Remy smiled as he saw Ronnie and stopped to talk with her. She seemed talkative, almost unusually so, but he was just glad to be back. Consider him, Stalled!

                Rogue just sat back as Kitty had her way with the makeup.. Her mind wrestled with the thought of going down to the party, wearing such a revealing dress. Not that it was overly revealing, but.. she'd never exposed so much skin with so many people. What would Remy think?

                Rogue blinked, the thought unbidden. Where had that come from? What should she care how he thought she looked? No matter what she wore, she noted wryly, he always came at her with some lame flirt about her appearance. Rogue spoke as soon as Kitty was done applying the lipstick.

                "Can't Ah at least have a scarf?"

                Kitty grinned again, attacking Rogue's eyes with mascara.

                "No way! Trust me, Rogue, you'll be okay! Besides, Remy will make you totally forget about it."

                "What's *that* supposed ta mean?"

                Kitty looked up suddenly, shoving the makeup back into her dresser. "I wonder if he's wearing gloves! Shoot. Come on, Rogue, Ronnie can't stall him for long." With that, Kitty led a hesitant Rogue down to the ballroom. 

                Minutes later Kitty emerged, peeking out the window as Remy and Ronnie approached. She grinned and ran out the door, seizing Remy by the hand.

                "Hey Remy!"

                Remy was indeed wearing gloves, thin black leather, fit to his hand like a second skin. He'd started to wear them more frequently as a prevention to finger prints, just in case. It would be good not to have to worry. There was Rogue, too... Why should she always have to be the one to take precautions against her abilities? That was a more secondary thing, of course, just to try and make her more comfortable. His interests were always his main motivation. At least, that was always his official status. Sometimes he didn't even know, really. Best not to think about it. He just let everything go as Kitty grabbed him, a bit of a shock as he'd just been talking to Ronnie. 

                "'Ello dere, ma petite amie, somet'in wrong?"

                Kitty just beamed at him, leading him quickly into the mansion.

                "No, everything's fine! I just have something to show you."

                Kitty ignored any further inquiry he might have, simply leading him onward. The living room was empty - not usual for this time of day - and Kitty stopped him, insisting on removing his trench coat. She then led him to the ballroom doors. Without further ado, she threw open the doors and shoved him inside..          The grand hall was decorated in high Mardi Gras theme - colored lights covered the walls and ceilings, and bright paper lanterns were strewn about the tables. Various decorations tied in with a deep southern New Orleans feel - grinning skulls, French posters, voodoo knick knacks. At the front of the dance floor Rhyth was spinning at a DJ table. The music was authentic Cajun music, some remixed by Rhyth himself, whose mutant powers revolved around manipulating sound. 

                Students shouted greetings and 'Happy Birthdays' to Remy when he entered, and Kitty stood back with a bright smile.

                Remy blinked as his coat was removed, leaving him in the dirty white t-shirt, which sported Jim Morrison on the front, and his usual jeans and boots. Once he'd processed what had happened he grinned and got into the party, shaking some hands, taking in the decorations, and even made some small talk. Of course, his first priority was to grin back at Kitty and give her a soft, "Thank you, cheri."

                Kitty just smiled at him, watching as he joined the party. Perfect. Her first mission was accomplished. Now for the second.. Kitty disappeared into the crowd, looking for Rogue.

                Silly of her, though, to think Rogue would be in the crowd. In between the time it had taken Kitty to meet Remy and bring him inside, Rogue had started back upstairs, bent on finding a scarf or sweater. She was halfway up the stairs when the commotion started behind her. She looked down to see Kitty ushering in Remy. Torn, Rogue stopped to think for a long moment. Kitty seemed determined that she do this, though Rogue wasn't sure why. What did it matter to her whether she wore this or something long sleeved and baggy? She tried to see Kitty's side of it, though, and maybe if she just stuck to the side...

Not fully convinced on the inside, but trying to look as in control on the outside, Rogue walked slowly down the stairs.

                The dress Kitty had helped her pick was a black slip dress, crepe material with French lace trim at the neck and hem. The same lace trimmed the top of black, arm length gloves. She wore sheer nude tights for the sake of covering her skin, with black strappy heels. Kitty left her makeup in natural colors - to give the Goth look a rest, she'd said, though still let her indulge in dark eye shadow. She pinned her hair up, gathered back into a bun by a jeweled hairnet, leaving the two white strands down. 

                Rogue could only try to keep her chin up, and her heart rate down.

                There were a few soft snickers from no other than Bobby Drake and his buddies, Evan among them as usual. They grabbed Remy once he was close enough and whispered to him, fingers gestured toward Rogue, though they attempted to keep them hidden. Remy followed the motions and caught sight of Rogue, and his jaw hung slack for a moment as he took her in. Bobby elbowed him in the ribs and snickered again, Remy chuckled along this time and nodded along with what they were saying before he moved off to 'mingle', slowly closer and closer towards Rogue.

                That was another thing Rogue hadn't quite anticipated. Alright, so maybe the other students would be able to keep their distance. It didn't change the fact that they'd do a fair amount of pointing and whispering. She couldn't say that they were negative comments, but the fact that they were commenting at all went against everything she'd strived for the past few years - stay in the background, out of sight, out of mind. It was part of the whole Goth look that clearly said to the outside world "Do Not Enter". And what was she doing now? 

                Rogue's determined stride faltered at the thought, and for an instant she thought of running back upstairs, before she spotted Remy coming near. Run now, and what would he think? Eurgh, back to that train of thought again... Rogue alighted the steps and made her way across the room in a random direction, pretending not to have noticed him, or Bobby and Evan's pointing.

                He registered this but kept his demeanor the same. Eventually they all took their seats, Remy at the head of the table as the cake, candles lit, levitated out into the slightly darkened room. Everyone started to sing and Remy just grinned as he watched the delicious looking treat come closer and closer. He blew the candles out at the end of the song and the cake began to serve itself, marble cake, chocolate and vanilla together. Ice cream too, traditional vanilla. He looked like a little kid as he dug in, loving the party.

                Once the food was done it was time for presents. There were only a few, one from the Professor, Dr. McCoy, and then a card from all the rest, with a very generous check inside. Everyone had pitched in since they knew Remy didn't have anyone to give him allowance or a job, and they preferred to not be hustled, of course. He was very grateful and in high spirits when the space was cleared for a dance floor.

                The lights went dark once again, the Mardi Gras lanterns illuminating the dance floor with sultry shades of violet, crimson, and green. Rhyth announced the opening song, voice projecting across the crowd without the aid of a microphone - part of his abilities. An old-sounding record played, thrumming out the beat to the Cajun Fiddle. Rhyth spun the record and added other sounds to give it a modern flair. 

                Rogue, who had somehow managed to stay pretty much out of sight, wandered over, watching the students begin to crowd the dance floor. Kitty waved at her from across the room where she was talking with Jean, who gave her an appreciative smile. Rogue waved back half heartedly, feeling out of place. She tried her best to smile, though. It was to celebrate Remy's birthday, and it was no use bringing herself or anyone else down. Now where was that boy?

                Remy was out on the dance floor, teaching everyone some new moves. It was a strange jig-like dance, almost. He worked himself into a fervor along with the music, and he got some others to join in the primitive dancing, tapped into the beat of the music. Of course by the time the song was done he was exhausted, as were some others, though they stayed out to dance in a less draining manner. Remy went and leaned against a wall, and looked around as he wiped the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief. His eyes were searching the crowd for someone specific; little did he know she was off to his side, not out on the dance floor in front of him... He should have known, though, Rogue didn't seem like the dancing type.

                Shortly Rogue had been able to spot Remy teaching the students a new kind of dancing. He was as light on his feet on the dance floor as he was in combat, not really something she could say for herself. She wasn't one, for obvious reasons, to go dancing. Evan had wanted to take a video, once, of her and Kitty dancing, and Rogue had resorted to borrowing a Kitty's moves with a brief touch - she had none of her own to speak of. Still, it didn't take away from watching Remy dance.

                The song changed again, and she watched as he moved to the side, seemingly not noticing her. She suddenly felt guilty - she hadn't said a word to him all night. Now was her chance. Hesitating for a moment, she walked slowly forward, hands clasped behind her back, head tilted down.

                "Ya seem like you're havin' a good time."

                He blinked and looked over at her with a huge grin. There she was. He nodded to her question and straightened a bit. "I's a blast, p'tite, especially havin' such a pretty li'l flowah like yo'self all dolled up jus fo' Remy." He chuckled and reached out with his gloved hand and tilted her chin up to look at her. "I really 'preciate it, cheri... dis means a lot ta Remy..."

                Rogue looked up at him, allowing herself a small smile. 

                "Ya really should thank Kitty.. It was her idea." She lifted a gloved hand and put it on his as if to push it away, but she didn't attempt to move it. Her gaze wandered to where Kitty was, talking animatedly with Rahne and Kurt. "Still, she needed some help with the decoratin'.. She's not exactly the expert on the southern themes."

                He chuckled softly and pulled his hand away slowly, then turned it to grasp Rogue's hand as he lowered it. Remy thought maybe she'd rather keep the touching less obvious, and he didn't want to embarrass her and spoil any fun she might be having from... well, having stood around. 

                "Looks wondahful... Remy can almos' heah de bayou..."

                The beat faded slowly, and a new record played. It was slightly tinny sounding, a slow Cajun air that Rhyth left un tampered with. Couples joined together, and timid young men asked girls to dance. Kitty had found her way over to Rogue and Remy, looking at them both pointedly.

                "Well? Why aren't you two dancing already!" She didn't get Rogue all done up for nothing; this was a part of her plan as much as anything. Rogue blinked at Kitty's forwardness.

                Remy responded similarly, slightly taken aback by the fact that she sounded as if she completely expected them to all ready be out on the dance floor. Well, he supposed it was his party, and he should be, but this was Rogue's roommate and should know her better than anyone... Yet she expected this. Remy chuckled and looked at Rogue with a smile. 

                "Well, Remy would gladly dance if de lady would be so kahnd as ta dance wit' him..." He stepped back and gave a bow then kissed her hand the way any proper southern gentleman would.

                Rogue was determined not to blush, though she was fighting a losing battle. She couldn't refuse him, though, it was his party. Besides, slow dancing was easy enough, right? She didn't recall ever having slow danced, but judging by what she saw, it wasn't very complicated. She hoped. 

                Rogue pushed these thoughts to the back of her mind, concentrating now on appearing completely in control. "Ah'd love to."

                Kitty grinned and walked away to dance with Kurt. Her job here was done.

                Remy led her out onto the dance floor, all ready getting the feel of the music. He positioned one of her hands on his shoulder and slid an arm around her waist, hand at the flat of her back, and took her other hand in his. 

                "Yo' jus' follah me, p'tite... Remy know wha' he doin." He did, too, and started to guide her through a simple box step, though they were the only ones that danced this way. Still, it flowed perfectly with the music, even though he kept it a bit slow for her to be able to follow.

                Rogue found herself concentrating too much on the steps and not enough on the music. She bowed her head slightly and closed her eyes, focusing all of her attention on the beat. She only knew one type of dance - a type of waltz her father had taught her when she was little. There were often town dances held during the summer, and she remembered dancing barefoot in the grass, the music of the live band echoing across the river, fireflies seeming to move in beat. 

                As Rogue wandered through her memories, her body more swayed than stepped, moving naturally with the rhythm. Who knew she danced best when she wasn't paying attention.

                He smiled when he felt her loosen up and get more into the dance. It was one of those rare, real smiles that didn't have the same almost commercial quality that his expressions usually carried. He pulled her a bit closer once he was confident his feet at least probably wouldn't get stepped on, his eyes once again taking in all the things they'd set up for him. Maybe she had been right when she said he had a home here. It was comfortable and normal here, and at least some, if not the majority, or even all of them seemed just fine with his presence. He let out a little sigh and just let himself enjoy the moment of belonging, something he'd been so close to with the Morlocks, yet hadn't truly felt since he left New Orleans.

                Rogue, half aware of the present, slowly turned Remy away from the box they'd begun to wear into the floor, and began to ease him into a different dance. It was a waltz, and though it was a three step, it fit in with the music easily enough. It had a slightly different hold as well, and Rogue moved to close the space between them. Her hand shifted from his shoulder to his neck. 

                In her mind she retraced every detail of summers by the river with the band playing, people twirling around her, dancing with David. David. The thought of him jarred Rogue from her reverie, and she opened her eyes.

                She was just in time for the end of the song, Remy moved easily along with the new pattern until it slowly drifted away. He sighed again and took a step back from her, then bowed deeply and gave her his real, far more charming smile. 

                "T'ank yo', p'tite. Dat was de bes' present yet." 

                He moved back away from the dance floor as the beat changed again, over to the bowl of strange purple/blue punch that was set out for refreshment.

                Rogue watched Remy with an empty gaze as he went away, one hand coming up to rub her temple. Since when had she started losing herself in memories of her childhood? A small amount of pressure had begun to build at the back of her head, and Rogue moved off the dance floor and towards the kitchen.


	17. Chapter 16: Deception

                Chapter 16: Deception

                Remy danced and talked for quite some time, truly thrilled by the fact they would throw him a party. He knew it wasn't really his birthday - well, it could be, but he didn't even know what his birthday was - but they'd chosen a nice date to mark the event. The Professor congratulated him on his first completed year, and his overcoming of the obstacles that everyone had to deal with at one time or another. Everyone else talked about things that had happened, or about mundane things, some even asked about New Orleans, inspired by the decorations. Of course one can only take so much, but he needed some excuse to break away from his own party, and hopefully he could do it quietly...

                Rogue had disappeared once again after her dance with Remy, looking for some aspirin some of the other kids reported. Another said they had seen her walking back to her room, complaining of a headache.

                A plan slowly formed in Remy's head. The stairwell was dark enough now that he lights were dimmed; chances are no one would even notice him, as a good time was being had by all. He excused himself from the small group he had been talking with and wandered closer to the stairs until he took one last step and started up, luckily unseen. At least no one followed him. 

                He headed up toward Rogue's room, though he had to dig back to remember which door it was. He didn't pick the lock his time, though, he just knocked softly. Kitty wouldn't be in there, she'd been down at the party, so he may as well maintain his manners this time.

                Knocking revealed only that the door was slightly ajar, not even closed much less locked. It drifted open a bit, helped by a breeze that issued from the balcony window inside the room. The lights were out, and Rogue was standing with her back to the door, silhouetted against the dark violet night sky. The moon illuminated her skin, making it glow with white. Her head was bowed slightly, but she shifted a bit to the side, acknowledging his presence and not sending him away.

                He blinked but stepped inside, and closed the door behind him. He felt slightly awkward, really, as he didn't quite understand what was going on. This didn't really seem like her, at least as far as he knew, and that threw him off his game. He didn't like to be off his game. 

                Still he walked up beside her, and slightly back, as he looked out over the balcony as well. He opened his mouth as if to say something, then stopped and closed his mouth again. He had absolutely no idea what to say for once. So, he just stood and looked out.

                Rogue stood silently as he stood beside her, gazing into nothingness. Suddenly, slowly, she raised her gloved arm before her, in plain sight of both of them. She loosened the fingertips delicately one by one, and started to pull the fabric off, exposing inch by inch the white skin of her arm. The whole display felt as if she had been removing something more intimate. She dropped the article to the floor, turning to face him. Her eyes were shadowed, and she lifted her bare hand to touch his face. The back of hand grazed his cheek, and nothing happened.

                Remy drew in a breath as he braced himself for that strange pulling sensation... Then nothing happened. He blinked and looked at her hand, then wondered if maybe he was hallucinating and she hadn't actually touched him... But no, that was wrong. His eyes were fixed on her hand, and then slowly moved to her. He opened his mouth again and started to say something, then stopped and thought, before he continued.             

                "Cheri, dat's... amazin'... but how? I mean... Did you... or... Well... jus' how is all..." He blinked again as he watched her, as if confused.

                Her hand continued to caress his cheek as he spoke, seemingly not paying attention to his words. Moving her hand to the back of his head, she brought her gloved hand up to rest against the other side of his face, meeting his rambling inquiry with a sultry gaze before leaning up to kiss him softly on the lips. The kiss was innocent, but not chaste. 

                What's a man to do? His questions just evaporated and he brought his hands up to rest on her hips, though he seemed fairly prone beyond that. This was quite a bit very fast, not something he could process with ease. Though that didn't really matter now, so he just let his cares go and returned her kiss gently. He'd thought about it more than once, of course, ever since he'd first kissed her to transfer his memories, and now he could actually experience it... and of course he should appreciate everything he comes across, so he could just take his time to appreciate this.

                Her hands drifted down to his, slowly removing his gloves. She began to move forward, pushing him back slightly to sit down on the bed. She broke the kiss and stood before him, slipping off her other glove. Now properly disrobed, she lean in once more to kiss him again with a renewed fervor, easing into his lap and straddling his hips. 

                Outside, rain started to dot the dark concrete, and clouds obscured the moonlight, making the room even darker.

                He slid his hand behind her head, caressing her bare neck, his other arm wrapped around her waist as he closed his eyes, his breath quickened. He once again returned her kiss passionately, driven by the feel of her body against his, and the wonderful warmth that could only come from another person. He couldn't help but press closer to her, his earlier questions completely forgotten now in the heat of the moment.

                Her hands moved across his neck and chest as she deepened the kiss, leaning over, guiding him to lie back. It began to rain harder, and the wind picked up, blowing the curtains inward to drift towards the two like ghosts. Her mouth left his lips once more, trailing kisses down his neck as her hands reached under his shirt, running across his stomach.

                Remy laid back with a sigh, then took hold of one of her hands and brought it to his lips, planting soft, quick kisses over her fingers and palm. He muttered softly in Creole, those sweet nothings that sounded so nice, though what he actually said was lost in her hand.

                She sighed faintly, breath trailing across his skin like feathers. She planted another gentle kiss on his lips before hovering above him to look down into his eyes, the red on black gleam just barely glowing crimson on her pale face. Rain spattered the windows, lightning struck, and for an instant the room was lip up with white, and Rogue's eyes shone blue. Thunder cracked instantly, reverberating throughout the grounds.

                Remy blinked as he saw her eyes. That made him take pause and also gave him the break he needed to collect himself. After all, Kitty could walk in any moment, right? He also still wanted to know the 'how' of what she did, though that question was replaced by the much more obvious one at the moment. 

                "Cher... Wha's wrong wit' yo' eyes?" He slowly let his hands fall to the bed, and his body tensed slightly, ready... just in case.

                She paused for half an instant, and then quickly recollected herself. Not saying a word, like she hadn't since this began; she seemingly ignored his question and leaned down once more to kiss him, hands around his neck. It was now or never.

                He put his hands on her shoulders and pushed back gently, turning his face away. He couldn't let this one be brushed off; he knew that if she got him going again, he'd lose his chance for an answer. 

                "P'tite, please... Remy real excited dat yo' showin' so much affection fo' him an' all, but he need an ansah of some kind..."

                The look he gave him was strange, one of disbelief. She hesitated for a moment before striking, eyes narrowed. She made sure his hands were still touching her bare shoulders before the grip of her hands on his neck tightened. Then came the familiar, unnatural pulling sensation as she completely let loose her powers.

                He gasped at the feeling, but he'd been ready for... Well, something, though not this specifically. The tension in his body released and he sprung up, and he knew that if that didn't get her off, he wouldn't be able to pull away and he'd be lost. His mind raced, though, with all new questions, though he'd passed the point of caring about why's and how's, and just wanted to get away, save himself.

                Rogue maintained her grip on his throat, a grim smirk curving her lips. Just then, the door flew open, and another flash of lightning set agleam a pair of adamantium claws. 

                Logan's first thought upon seeing them was that Rogue was being attacked. He could smell the pheromones from down the hall, easily detecting the Cajun, and the mixed scent of someone he didn't recognize.

                All that was forgotten now - he had caught the kid messing with Rogue. With a feral snarl, Logan crossed the room in a flash, ripping the Cajun roughly away. It was only then that he noticed his pale complexion and weakened bearing. His gaze flew to Rogue, who took a step back, glaring at him savagely. She couldn't face two of them.

                He gasped as the connection was broken, his knees weak, body only supported by Logan's hold on the back of his shirt. He shakily supports himself as Logan doesn't tolerate holding him up for long. His breath came in short rasps as he slowly regained himself, and nausea pushed up from his stomach. He suppressed it as he watched Rogue. Logan kept his position, as he didn't want to get too close if she was ready to suck the life out of someone. 

                "All right, Stripes, time to start explaining yourself."

                Rogue backed away slowly, betraying actual fear at the thought of fighting Wolverine. The chances of her getting close enough to touch before he shredded her were slim to none. She spoke suddenly, voice dripping with venom, and in an accent not belonging to Rogue.

                "I have a message for Charles. Tell him he'd best consider where his allegiances lie, if he values the lives of his students."

                She could feel the rain beating against the skin of her back, and a renewed energy flowed through her. Without pause for a reply, she turned and ran onto the balcony, vaulting over the rail and dropping out of sight.

                Remy's eyes went wide and he rushed forward to lean over the balcony and see where she went. What had just happened? She didn't seem to be herself. Suddenly there was a flash of memory: the Professor explaining about Carol, the entity that had been dormant in Rogue's head. Surely she couldn't have taken control again. But then what? 

                Logan put a hand on his shoulder and led him out of the room and back downstairs. "Come on, Gumbo, we have to go talk with Chuck. He'll be able to find her easier with Cerebro than you could on foot, and it's a lot safer, too."


	18. Chapter 17: Plan of Action

                Chapter 17: Plan of Action

                It was early morning when Xavier gathered Remy and Logan into his office. The other students had by this time wandered back to their rooms, and Logan pacified an exhausted Kitty's confused questions as to where Rogue was. For the moment, no one else knew, and they would keep it that way until Xavier could learn as much about the occurrence as possible.

                Xavier sat facing the couches in front of the fireplace, where Logan was pacing back and forth restlessly. He'd seen the look in her eyes, the sound of her voice.. Even her smell told him that wasn't Rogue. His heart raged out at whatever was doing this to her, but if his suspicions were correct, how could he rage at something within her? Without a tangible target in sight, Logan growled inwardly in frustration. 

                Xavier cleared his throat before speaking. It was his job to remain cool and composed, though he was finding it rather difficult to maintain.

                "I was able to follow her path southwards. She seems to have been moving at an unnaturally rapid speed, so I had some trouble pinpointing her exact location. The last place she stopped was in an industrial district twenty miles north of Albany, but her connection became severed inexplicably. It's as if something is shielding her mind from me, in the same manner Magneto has hidden himself from me.

                With a slight sigh, Xavier lifted one hand to his brow.

                "It is Carol Danvers, as I feared." He turned to Remy. "I know you must be feeling very weak, but can you please tell me what happened? Something must have triggered this."

                Remy sat on the couch, huddled in his trench coat as intermittent shivers coursed through his body. He did feel quite terrible, and his birthday cake had come back up not too long ago. He looked at Xavier and gulped, then turned his eyes back to the floor. 

                "Remy ain' sure... he almos' certain dat she all ready like dat when he go up to find her..." This got a glare from Logan, who undoubtedly knew what had been happening, and this didn't help Remy's disposition any. He still felt ashamed that he would take advantage of her like that, while she wasn't in control. How could she ever forgive him?

                Xavier didn't comment on that. He'd picked up easily on Remy's memories of the events, but that still left a lot unexplained. 

                "I suspected that Carol had taken over by the time you found her. I have learned from several students that she'd been complaining of a headache before she went to her room. Carol must have been waiting for the opportunity, but I cannot imagine why Rogue would submit so easily. You say you were able to touch her?"

                Remy just nodded, eyes still fixed on the ground. He had touched her and let his questions be drowned out. It was like a dream come true, and still seemed like a dream now, though it quickly shifted to a nightmare. He suspected it could have been much worse if he hadn't pushed his question, and would have still be worse if Logan hadn't saved him, something Remy had been sure to thank him for.

                Logan stopped mid-stride suddenly, a snarl crossing his features. The knowledge of what the two of them did irked him enough, even more so with the thought that the Cajun was so ready to fool around when he knew that Rogue wouldn't possible behave in such a way. The only consolation to Logan's anger was the amount of suffering the Cajun was going through now.

                "Look, bub, we know what you two were doin'. Now who started it?"

                Xavier paused, and Logan prayed for the excuse to flay the boy alive.

                He shuddered slightly and fingered his cards, very edgy and nervous. 

                "Wasn' Remy... he swear... she touch him, an' he ask how... den she... um... stop his questions..." He blushed and gulped, then gripped his cards firmly. He knew, or at least hoped, Xavier would stop Logan from tearing him to pieces, but it was always a good idea to have a backup when one dealt with the deadly Wolverine.

                Logan glanced at Xavier, who didn't contest the boy's words. It was the truth then. Minus yet another object of his pending revenge, Logan resumed his pacing, hands running through his hair.

Xavier returned to examining the situation at hand.

                "It is obvious that Carol has enough control over Rogue's mutant powers to enable or disable them at will. The question is, why did she attack you as opposed to anyone else? We know that Carol Danvers was also captured by Trask. Remy, can you think of any reason why she would want you dead?"

                Remy shrugged and thought on it. He went back to his time with Trask, tried to remember this Carol person. That's when it struck him. The blue eyes. He remembered those. She had piercing, almost icy blue eyes that would drill right into you. 

                He remembered the day when he'd been eating in the cafeteria with Colossus and he'd watch them drag her away. She'd screamed and cursed, and those eyes had met his, gone straight through him then, too. She'd been in a lab coat like the other scientists, though... Rumors had abounded that she was a mutant, and Remy had found it was true when he'd spotted her in one of the holding cells. She'd been so angry with Trask, and everyone involved with the project, cursing anyone who walked by and screaming threats at them. 

                "She... remembah me... Used ta work fo' de project, den dey learn she a mutant too... Dey didn' want any of deir scientists to be mutants, jus' muscle... She wasn' happy... Jus makin' good on some t'reats she make, Remy guess."

                Logan halted his pacing once more, mind thinking back to his time in Trask's lab. "She was in the same cell block as us. I remember right before they took Rogue, they had to knock the woman out with gas. None of the guards would go near her, but she didn't look too strong to me." 

                A muscle in his jaw flinched. They had to use a similar technique on him, keeping him in a constant state of delirium lest he shred the metal prison with his claws. 

                Xavier mused silently for a moment before turning to Remy. "Do you know anything about her abilities?"

                Remy shook his head. "Dey nevah let Remy an' de othahs look at de files unless we was goin aftah someone. Dey took her while she was still in de buildin'." He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment as he tried to calm himself. He coughed and rubbed his eyes a bit as his vision blurred for a moment. This was definitely worse than the other times.

                Xavier nodded. "I'm sorry to have kept you so late; you most certainly need your rest. Logan, I want you to gather the others in the morning to decide on a plan on action. Remy, we'll keep you informed."

                Remy blinked, then frowned as he looked at Xavier. "Remy gonna help too... He gotta be responsible... Partly responsible anyway... he have ta make up fo' it..." He nodded at his decision, and he sounded quite adamant about the point. He just hoped that Xavier would let him go...

                Xavier sighed, having expected this.

                "I can't ask you to be involved, given the nature of the situation. You have no reason to feel responsible. I realize that you care for Rogue, we all do, but if this Carol Danvers is after your life, we can't afford to put your life at risk again."

                Logan concurred silently. It had been shown how easily Carol could trick Remy into getting close enough to drain him. "Look kid, we're going up against a wolf in sheep's clothing. Do you really think you're prepared to fight Rogue, hurt her? Because chances are there won't be any other way to beat this thing."

                The thought made Remy stop and rethink his own ability to participate. They'd be fighting Carol in Rogue's body, and when the time came, he wasn't sure he could trust himself to do what was necessary.

Remy sighed, and then stood. 

                "Remy know what ta do... He go get Leech, den she be harmless, jus plain ol' girl, an' anyone strongah den her be able ta jus' pin her down... Use some tranq dahts... Dere be no problems at all..." He looked pale and sweaty still, but he was getting energized, ready.

                Logan nodded. Whatever the kid had planned, he seemed sure of himself. "Come on, Gumbo, you need to rest up." With a final look to Xavier, he led Remy away by the shoulder to guide him safely back to his room.

                                                                        * * *

                "Absolutely not! Leech is just a child, Gambit, I will not allow you to endanger his life just to save some surface-dwelling girlfriend of yours." 

                Callisto crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. That was the final word. Remy sighed, and even Leech looked a little crestfallen - he was more than ready to help his friend Remy after the Cajun had taught him how to pick pockets so well - but they both knew it was useless. You didn't challenge leadership as a Morlock unless you could do a better job yourself. Remy nodded and patted Leech on the head. 

                Callisto sighed and shook her head, "I'm sorry, Gambit, and I wish you luck, I just can't risk Leech's life." Remy nodded again, "I undahstand. T'ings will work out, he sure... He see you all when he done searchin..." 

                They said their goodbyes and Remy made his way out of the abandoned military tunnels, up into the sewer, and then to the surface so he could drive back to the mansion to join the others gathered to search out Rogue.

                                                                            * * *

                A few days had past with no sign of her. A team of X Men had been sent to the industrial complex near Albany and found no clues, and the Professor was still unable to detect her using Cerebro. On the fourth day since her disappearance, a clue surfaced from an unlikely source.

                Kitty answered the front door, dark circles under her eyes from the past few late nights.

                "Pietro?"

                The speedster stood on the doormat, looking worse for wear himself. "We know where Rogue is."

                Before Kitty could respond, Xavier appeared behind her, gesturing them both to come inside.

                "Please join us, Pietro."

                Normally the speed demon would have scoffed at an invitation to work with the X Geeks, but this time he didn't argue, following them at a steady pace - much slower than normal.

                The X Men were strewn about Xavier's office, some sitting on the couches, others pacing, others gazing off into space. All snapped to attention when Quicksilver, of all people, walked through the door with the Professor.

                Pietro took a seat, suddenly fidgety in the presence of so many X Men, some of whom shot him suspicious looks. He decided to get right to the point.

                "Rogue was at the house." 

                Pietro had no idea what had occurred with Carol, which explained his confused demeanor when explaining the events that transpired at the Brotherhood.

                "She didn't even stop to say anything, just attacked us out right. She got Lance. He's alright now, but.. She didn't get me, I was too fast for her." He paused, smirking faintly, trying to restore his shattered confidence. "Mystique came back the day before. She tried to fight Rogue, but.. I've never seen anyone beat Mystique so easily. I tried to stop Rogue from killing her, but nothing I could do seemed to faze her. Mystique's alive, but she won't wake up."

                Pietro looked up, brows drawn together with the effort of maintaining such a slow pace, along with trying to make sense of what had happened. "Rogue was wearing this metal collar. I've seen Magneto make them. You can guess what it's for."

                Indeed, Magneto had given Mystique a similar token once before, to keep her from being detected by telepaths, and Cerebro. Of course, that was back before Mystique betrayed him, or he betrayed her.. Who knew?

                Remy frowned as he fingered one of his cards. What was Carol doing? There was only one answer, really, because there was only one thing Rogue's powers were good for. Trask had seen that, or his bosses had, or something, and they knew what to do with her. Did Carol have the same idea? And now she had some collar from Magneto, even though he was supposed to be dead... Then Remy looked at Pietro.     "Where Magneto at now?"

                Pietro chuckled bitterly, straightening his posture. "My father contacted me before Rogue showed up. He wanted me to get out of there, but I thought, 'what could little Roguey do', right? He's not on an asteroid this time, but leave it to the old man to be original. He's running his operation off an island in the south Pacific."

                Remy sighed and shook his head, then Xavier started his questions. 

                "Pietro, did Eric tell you how Rogue got a hold of one of his collars? And does he know how to track someone who is wearing one?" Xavier steepled his fingers and watched the young man carefully, not wanting to invade the privacy of his mind. As long as Pietro cooperated he wouldn't have to.

                Pietro shrugged, slowly regaining his usual arrogance.

                "I have no idea. He didn't mention this, but Rogue wouldn't have been able to get one of those collars unless Magneto gave it to her personally. He doesn't just leave them lying around, if you know what I mean. And the fact that she attacked Mystique supports that they might have partnered up." Pietro looked at the Professor, genuinely confused. "Why would Roguey do that?"

                "When Rogue was kept in Trask's laboratories she was forced to completely absorb a woman named Carol Danvers. Something has triggered Carol and awakened her, now she is in complete control of Rogue's body. She attacked Remy a few nights ago." He motioned toward Remy, "And now it seems she is trying to build up an arsenal of powers. I'd appreciate it if you would tell me how to contact your father, or if you did it for me, as I think we would have a much better chance of finding her together." 

                Just like Chuck; he always wanted everyone to get along and live in peace.

                Pietro stood up, wary. He wasn't in a big rush to join the X Geeks - he'd been fighting them long enough. He couldn't risk betraying his father either, unless he wanted to be on the receiving ends of similar plots.

                "I don't think it'd be the greatest idea to just stroll up to him and ask him if he's seen Rogue. If he's protecting this Carol woman, then you don't want to give her a chance to prepare." Pietro fidgeted in place once again, not liking the position he was being put in.

                "You said that Eric called you to warn you that Rogue was coming. I believe he gave her the collar willingly, as she'd hoped, then she betrayed him and came after you and your friends. I'm sure he'd be eager to regain his collar rather than let her continue using it." 

                The few students that paid attention thought this sounded like Xavier's typical logic, but the Professor wouldn't rely on that for Pietro. Rather he resorted to methods he left for his last chance, and this was that chance. He reached into Pietro's mind and made the suggestion seem like it was the only possibility, so that he would be more than willing to help them.

                Pietro thought for a moment, but found that he had nothing to think about, really. He wanted to help Rogue as much as the next, and he owed her enough to give the necessary information..

                "Fine.. It's called the Savage Lands. You didn't hear it from me."

                With that, he immediately made for the door, exiting in a blur.

                Xavier nodded and looked around at the gathered students. "Kitty, please go find Jean and Dr. McCoy, and ask them to start up the Blackbird. I'll send them coordinates when everything's ready. Logan, please assemble anyone you think would be useful. Mind, the environment in the Savage Lands is that of a rain forest, and the wild life is... unique. I'll give you a full briefing when everyone is assembled. Everyone else, go get some rest or relax otherwise. Nothing else can be done for now."


	19. INTERMISSION

                Intermission

                Hey kids!

                I know it's been a long time since we've dropped you guys a line. Rick and I would like to thank you all for the wonderful reviews, we're glad you enjoy our little story! It's been very fun playing it out.

                Hah! If only you knew how much we actually have done. The next chapter (17) ends at page 102 of 179 of our entire RP so far – just wait till you see what happens! I'm trying to get the chapters up as fast as I can, formatting is a beast…

                The next few chapters may raise some confused questions, so I'll try to add in another note to clarify some things. Remember, Carol is NOT Ms. Marvel, and her powers will NOT the same – no flying, no super strength, no invulnerability. We're trying to make this a bit more original and fun to play/read, so please don't hurt me!

                Up ahead: Kitty works more of her matchmaking magic, though things get a bit confusing.. we forgive her, though. Slight Scott/Jean bashing, the ultimate battle between good and evil (okay, maybe not the ULTIMATE battle..), and a LOT more romance! We're suckers for that, aren't we all?

                Since this isn't a traditional story, we sort of don't have any main climax/ending to our story.. Who knows how long it will go on? Rather we're working through a series of high points, anticlimaxes, and continuous build up of new plot twists and drama. We're trying our best to include classic X Men characters/plot lines, while at the same time trying not to just recycle them with different settings. We're also trying to keep a healthy balance of major plot lines with a mix of highschool style teenage drama/romance/scandal. When are these X Men going to get their priorities straight?

                Thanks again for the reviews, PEACE I'm outta here!

Raye


	20. Chapter 18: The X Men vs Carol Danvers

                Chapter 18: The X Men vs Carol Danvers

                After flying over an endless blue ocean, the Blackbird descended near an island, which stood out like a dark emerald with the dense jungle that covered it. The plane hovered a moment before touching down on the edge of one of the island's many beaches.

                The X Men, who had been briefed during the flight, cautiously alighted from the jet. Among them were Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, and Beast. Gambit emerged, last but not least. The Professor remained on the jet, keeping in contact with Jean.

                A huge dinosaur lumbered through the trees slowly, and stopped at a particular one to start a lunch of leaves. Huge insects and other strange things could be seen as well. Xavier hadn't been kidding when he talked about unique wildlife. Logan took point and led them through the jungle landscape, everyone dressed in safari clothing with backpacks that had emergency supplies in them. 

                After nearly two hours of hiking they could make out a large building through the trees, huge windows opened to the lobby-esque area, but the building expanded far beyond that. There were a few people that walked from one door to another, but no commotion of any sort... Hopefully that meant they hadn't been spotted.

                The group stopped at their vantage point, well out of sight. They waited until nightfall before attempting to sneak into the complex. Outfitted in their X gear, they left their supplies behind and split up into groups - Wolverine led Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, and Remy, while Storm and Best led Cyclops and Jean. Going in opposite directions, they approached the building from two sides. Storm worked in some fog to help cloak them.

                Kitty phased them inside the building while the others gained their own access. They were supposed to meet in a supply closet on the first floor that Xavier had given them directions to. Calling it a closet was a bit of an understatement, as it was a large room that contained all sorts of boxes and crates. Apparently they wouldn't run low on food or anything for quite awhile. 

                Jean unfolded a map as Xavier talked to the group. He had picked up images of Rogue from several people and had narrowed down her location to a certain part of the second floor. That was their new objective. Beast took Nightcrawler and Storm to help him attack the security system so they could create a distraction when they needed it. 

                Wolverine led the rest upstairs and started to search the rooms. Shadowcat put her head through walls to check and see if Rogue was there, Wolverine sniffed about, and Cyclops and Remy stood guard. Where was she?

                Wolverine walked out of one of the rooms and returned to where Remy stood guard at the top of the hallway, sniffing every now and then. His voice was gruff and annoyed. He stood beside Remy, looking down the hall.

                "She's not in this wing. Let's move to the next area."

                As Remy nodded and moved to walk down the hall to gather the other X Men, Wolverine moved behind him, aiming a solid kick at the base of his spine.

                Remy went down hard with an 'umph' only to feel two bodies tumble over him as the real Logan made an appearance. Suddenly the lights in the building started to come on. They weren't undetected anymore. He heard a crackle as Beast came over his comm set. 

                "Are we ready?" 

                "Not yet," Cyclops answered as he knocked a mutant, who had emerged from his room, over the rail and down into the lobby with a 'thud' using one of his optic blasts. It would be better if things went haywire when more people were out. 

                Remy regained his feet only to see two Wolverine's facing off, the others readied to take care of anyone else who came out. Remy charged a card and whipped it at a block of doors on the first floor on the opposite wall, and the walkway promptly collapsed in front of the doors, hopefully keeping whoever was inside there... A few less they had to worry about.

                The fake Wolverine paused as if in recognition, morphing Mystique-like into Rogue.

                "Logan!"

                Her eyes were green, and her voice sounded the same. Little did Wolverine realize Carol was utilizing the finer points of Mystique's impersonation abilities. Carol used his moment of hesitation to lash out in a vicious kick to his chest, sending him sprawling backwards. 

                The rest of the X Men emerged from their searching and joined Remy behind Logan, prepared to fight. Rogue narrowed her eyes - blue once more - and pulled something from behind her back. It was a small knife, nothing more. It then began to glow with a familiar red energy, and she whipped it straight at them - charged with the amount of energy of a grenade. Not waiting to watch it explode, she took off down the hall.

                Remy grabbed Kitty and told her, "Phase!" And phase she did, letting both of them fall through the floor. They landed easily and Remy dragged her away as the walkway above them collapsed as well. Logan chased after Rogue and Cyclops went as well. Nightcrawler made a nice appearance when he suddenly 'bamf'ed right ahead of her, one leg extended to try and trip her. A soft rumble sounded Storm's approach as well. Hank had sent backup. More mutants had appeared now, and a gout of flame shot toward Wolverine and Cyclops as they ran. Everyone here knew the X-Men. And no one liked them.

                Rogue ran down the hall, vaulting over Nightcrawler but not stopping to fight him. She couldn't afford to face them all at once until she had the advantage. The mutants that covered her flight were by no means a formidable barrier between Rogue and her pursuers - most hadn't been extensively trained in combat situations. Magneto's muscle was usually kept out in the human world, gathering his information and doing his dirty work. 

                Rogue heard thunder rumble, and it wasn't from Storm. She had to find a way out. The hallway was devoid of doors leading to the outside, but she suddenly skidded to a halt and darted into one of the rooms. A skylight in the ceiling provided barely enough light from the stars outside, at least what stars could be seen through the canopy. 

                Logan slid as he turned and darted into the room as well, having to fall to all fours to keep balance, though he missed Rogue and slammed into the far wall of the room. Wolverine growled and scrambled up. Cyclops took care of disabling other mutants as Remy made his way back up to the second level. He told Kitty to go find Beast and be ready to help him through the nearest wall. Things were quickly on their way to out of control and he had to go help make sure Rogue was captured. 

                Just as he was about to get through the door he was nailed by a flying chair and sent sprawling onto the floor. You didn't have to be well trained to use super strength, and there was a bulk of muscle down on the first floor. He tore up whatever he could and threw it at the X-Men, doing his best to hit them.

                Rogue whirled as Wolverine crashed into the room, readying herself as he got to his feet and screaming at him, voice tinged with panic.

                "Do you really think you can defeat me here?!"

                He charged her, and she stood her ground. The first punch to her ribs very nearly winded her, but the second barely made her flinch. With a sudden wave of strength she seized Wolverine by the wrists, spinning in a wide arc and hurling him into a stack of crates on the other side of the room. She picked up a crate near her, intending to throw it at him, before Cyclops appeared in the doorway. Not pausing, she flung it at him, faltering slightly. She vaulted up another crate and leapt at the skylight, shattering the glass with her fist, and pulling herself onto the roof.

                Remy got to his feet as Cyclops blew the crate apart with an optic blast. The Cajun jumped and easily made it to the window, where he pulled himself smoothly to the roof and ran after her. There was a rumbled as Cyclops sealed the door, and soon he and Logan were on the roof too. It was a curved surface and rather slick, but Remy seemed as sure footed as ever. He pulled a card out and charged it, then flung it toward Rogue's feet, not in an attempt to hurt her, just knock her down.

                Rogue jumped to the side as the card struck, the force propelling her tumble. She landed on one knee, an arm held out to steady herself. Now that she was actually still for a moment, it was easier for one to have a look at her. She had left the institute wearing nothing but the dress, but was now wearing a black PVC catsuit, which fit like a second skin and left nothing but her neck and hands bare. Her eyes were piercing blue, and everything in her demeanor betrayed a level of training beyond the Danger Room. Carol was a double agent in her former life, and it was her business to be accurate and deadly. 

                The sky above them was clouded, and the wind picked up slightly - the calm before the storm. Even now rain drops fell now and again, tinking slightly against the metal roof. Carol smirked, watching them carefully. Time to work on a psychological level.

                "You would attack me in this body? I guarantee I won't feel a thing, it is hers yet."

                That, of course, struck a chord with Remy, and he slipped on the slick roof and fell. He only slid a short way before he managed to regain his feet but Wolverine was already past him. Perhaps he was the better man for the job; he didn't have the same qualms as Remy did. He knew what he had to do. Nightcrawler teleported to the roof near him with Storm at his side, ready to accelerate the storm that all ready approached. 

                Cyclops' voice came over the comm set, "All right, Beast, hit it!" Things inside would go crazy quite quickly as every alarm and fire suppression system in the building triggered. Beast and Shadowcat would head back toward the Blackbird after that. They still had to get Rogue, though, but it wouldn't be easy.

                A dark grin curled Rogue's lips as the tempest began to pick up, the rainfall steadily increasing. She tilted her head back as the rain pelted against her body, reveling in the surge of strength. Her piercing blue gaze leveled once more at Wolverine as she sidestepped his attack, moving with a new quickness. Her agent skills as a psychological profiler locked onto Logan, and Carol began the process of cracking him.

                "I can hear her thoughts as she sleeps - she dreams of you often. Even now," she mused, pausing as if to listen to an inner voice. "Yes, she's quite upset, I can tell. Screaming. It'd be a shame if I hurt you too badly."

                A bolt of lightning struck down not too far from her, a blinding flash soon followed by the shockwave and deafening thunder. Remy shielded his eyes and tried to keep track of everything through the rain. Kurt scrambled down next to him, "Vee have to get out of here!" 

                Remy shook his head and watched. "You go, I'm staying!" More lightning as Storm rose into the air, collected up by the strong winds.

                Nightcrawler frowned but teleported over to Cyclops, who had tried to get a good fix on Rogue so he could knock her down long enough to Wolverine to grab her. The rain made that a bit harder. Remy crawled slowly closer and slipped on his leather gloves. If only he had Leech here.

                Rogue jumped away, Wolverine on her heels. She exchanged a few punches, but mostly kept to her evasive maneuvers. 

                "What a waste of time you've spent trying to 'protect' her. Look at her now! You can't even protect her from herself."

                *Snikt!* With a ferocious snarl, Wolverine unsheathed both claws, and before he knew what he was doing, thrust both at her chest with deadly aim. Eyes closed, he felt his claws penetrated flesh, and the sharp tang of blood overwhelmed his senses. Blinking his eyes open, he found Rogue holding bold of his fists, his claws protruding from the back of her hands. 

                Rogue smirked, holding Wolverine's fists back with a small amount of effort. She leaned in to lick the blood flowing down her wrist.

                "Temper, temper."

                Suddenly Remy rushed forward. Logan wouldn't be able to do it by himself, but Cyclops still hung back. Nightcrawler saw Remy's movement and got the idea, then teleported behind Rogue, and tried to knock her on the back of the neck. Maybe if he could render her unconscious they could get that collar off. 

                A few other mutants appeared at the far end of the roof, but were quickly obscured by the rain and several muffled shouts came as they were flooded off as Storm increased the rainfall in that area.

                Rogue moved with unprecedented speed, dislodging her hand and leaning back, ducking under Nightcrawler's swipe. Her free hand shot up like lightning and grabbed his bare neck, letting loose Rogue's power. Still maintaining her grip on his neck, Rogue removed her other hand from Wolverine's claws, who now regained his composure. 

                He aimed another punch at her midsection, but found himself striking Nightcrawler instead - he'd been whirled around as a human shield. With a powerful kick aimed at Kurt's back, she sent both X Men backwards onto the slippery surface of the roof. Nightcrawler was unconscious. 

                Rogue teleported out of sight, reappearing behind Cyclops, thrusting her bare hands on either side of his face.

                Remy looked around and spotted her by Cyclops, then quickly changed direction. He went hands-and-knees across the slippery surface toward the two as he watched Cyclops freeze at her touch. Remy pulled a card and charged it just a little, then threw it at Rogue. He hoped he would at least scare her away from him soon enough with that.

                Rogue struck Cyclops hard at the base of his skull, not having quite enough time to render him unconscious before Remy threw the card. She teleported away and back to Logan, deciding to finish him off once and for all. He came at her full force in a flurry of punches and kicks, and she allowed herself be hit, stumbling back onto the roof. Turning her head, she spit blood from her mouth and leveled her piercing glare at Wolverine. 

                Then she struck. She teleported to his side, her attacks blurring from the sheer speed, dodging his pitiful attempts at a counter attack with overly exaggerated, graceful movements. She was showing off, and by this time, she'd had enough.

                Deflecting one last, weak punch, Rogue ducked and brought her leg around in a forceful roundhouse to the side of his head. She hit him square in the temple, and Wolverine dropped.

                Remy changed direction again and went for her once more, another card all ready charged and he threw that as well. He lost his footing for a moment and fell to his stomach, but still held precariously to the roof. Suddenly the rain was interspersed with hail, mostly concentrated over Rogue's current position. There wasn't much Storm could do now that wouldn't endanger her unconscious friends. She didn't want to wash them over the edge.

                Rogue stood over Wolverine's body for a moment, before she felt a pressure around her whole body. Her head snapped up and looked across the roof at Jean Grey, who'd just arrived to see half of her friends unconscious on the ground. Before she could react, Rogue felt her body lift into the air and brought to a halt, before being slammed straight into roof. This caught her off guard, and her vision swam as she slid a ways down the slanted surface on her back. She remained perfectly still, breath coming in short gasps, and she waited.

                Remy crawled slowly toward her but Jean beat him. She levitated herself quickly over to Rogue and knelt beside her on the roof. Jean reached out with bare hands and laid them on Rogue's arm, a slight frown on her face. She always was the concerned one. 

                "Rogue, I know you can hear me, and I'm sorry for having to do that..." She then reached up to try and find where to unfasten the collar while Remy kept his slow pace forward.

                Within the space of a heartbeat, Rogue curled her legs up and back, striking Jean squarely in the chest with enough force to send her back into Remy. Flipping up onto her feet, Rogue didn't pause before sending an optic blast straight at her. Jean, recovering from her stumble into Remy, brought her hands up to block the blast with a telekinetic bubble. *bampf!* Rogue was at her side, aiming an elbow strike at her head instantaneously.

                Remy didn't recover quite as well but slid quickly down the roof, toward the edge, then he felt a strong winds slow and stop his movement, and even push him up a bit. He smiled up into the sky, though he couldn't see Storm, and started to scramble back upwards. This time he made sure to get out from behind Jean, however. He didn't want to get pushed back again.

                Stars danced in front of Jean's eyes as her head hit the roof, sliding back towards the edge. Satisfied, Carol turned to face her last target. She began to walk slowly towards him, taking her time as she built up her power.

                "You really shouldn't have been so inquisitive the last time we were together. Your death would have been much more pleasant, wouldn't you agree?" Her features were dark, her blue eyes cold enough to send a chill through anyone.

                Remy chuckled and pulled himself into a standing position. 

                "Aww, cheri, wha's wrong? Yo' mad dat Remy rejected yo'? Shame shame. He suspect dat yo' liked him even at de compound, cheri, when yo' had yo' own body. Dose t'reats so empty, wasn' hahd fo Remy ta tell." He grinned and walked slowly to the side, wanting to keep some distance between them.

                She circled around him in turn, watching him with an even expression.

                "What chance do you think you have? I've defeated all who have challenged me, and their powers lend me more strength than I need. This is what you helped Trask to achieve, but he misjudged me. He should not have chosen someone so weak willed. I shouldn't be complaining, though. I'll use her powers to become unstoppable, and soon all this," she gestured around at the complex, the island, the world. "Will belong to me." 

                She stopped suddenly, as if listening to something. "Ah yes, I can hear her now. I can hear her scream." Carol flexed Rogue's fingers, still covered in blood from the wounds in her hands. "There are advantages to borrowing another's body.. One can make them feel all the pain and remain virtually unfazed."

                Remy chuckled again. "Yo' always did have de eye fo' opportunity, dough, I t'ink dat body suits yo' much bettah. An' yo' really know how ta dress it too." He gave an appreciative whistle as he looked over her body. He turned on all his charm of course, and made no move to attack her. In fact he seemed astoundingly relaxed and unworried by the fact that his friends had just been taken out so ea

sily. "Yo' know, sweets, Remy can always be a very helpful pahtnah... in mo' ways den one."

                Carol smirked. Then there was only one thing that would get to him. She stopped moving, taking a deep breath before her eyelids fluttered, and the icy blue faded into a deep green.

                Rogue drew in a choked breath, dropping to one knee. The muscles in her legs burned from the overuse they were not used to, and breathing was painful - something felt wrong with her ribs. Expression contorted in pain, she looked down at the blood on her hands in disbelief.

                "Remy..?"

                The voice was hers, the accent, and her entire demeanor was entirely Rogue's. For the time being, Rogue was the dominant consciousness.

                Remy arched a brow and shook his head. 

                "Dis Cajun ain' no foo', he know de tricks, dey ain' very complicated ones, aftah all. He sho' would like fo' yo' ta take him up on his offah. Jus' ta prove he sincere..." He pulled the deck of cards from his trench coat and threw them into the wind. "Now come on, don' try an' pull Remy's leg."

                Rogue looked up at Remy with a hurt, questioning gaze before she screamed, clutching the sides of her head. Carol took back over, and stood with a slightly annoyed expression. She started to walk straight towards him, teeth bared.

                "Don't take me for a fool. You die now!" Her icy blue eyes became tinged with red, and released an optic blast.

                Remy jumped to the side and rolled up the slope before he got to his feet, still a bit unsteady. He pulled out the telescoping pole and tossed that away too. "Remy ain' takin' nobody as no foo'. He serious, damn it. He do whatevah yo' t'ink he needs ta prove it." He moved back a few steps again, up to the peak of the roof to gain better footing. "He jus rathah yo' stop tryin' ta kill him first."

                Her lips curled in a snarl as she watched him. Was he trying to get himself killed? Her eyes followed the discarded telescoping pole until it was out of sight, then she looked back to him. It was a trick, she knew it. But curiosity killed the cat, as the saying goes, and she watched his expression as she spoke.

                "Why are you doing this?"

                He arched a brow at that. "Yo' mean dat yo' don' know? Remy t'ought yo' had mo' of his memories den dat. De only person Remy care fo' is Remy. He play nice wit' de Prafessah an' his kiddies, but he jus' gettin' free room an' food. Den he plan ta move on ta de Mo'locks, but dis seems like it provide bettah opportunities ta Remy." He grinned and shrugged. "No need ta get Remy killed ovah a room an' food, anyway. So why not do dis?"

                She considered his words, not truly believing them. Still, if he wanted to play at this game, so could she. She teleported away, reappearing no more than three paces in front of him and holding his telescoping staff. She glanced at it before extending it.

                "Then prove it," she challenged, tossing him the staff. "Attack this body." She watched him pointedly to read his expression, waiting.

                He hesitated for a moment. "Yo' gonna try an' kill Remy again?" His expression had been completely sincere, and now he just seemed hesitant for that fact. Inwardly he was slightly worried. He'd been trying to think a message for the Professor, to send a message to the Morlocks. What if he hadn't gotten it, or what if Callisto had said no? It shouldn't take this long...

                She held her hands out to her sides, palms up. 

                "Don't worry, I won't attack or defend. Prove yourself, if you are so adamant about joining me."

Her gaze was calculating.. another hesitation on his part would mean his demise.

                Remy shrugged and his stance dropped slightly. Rogue would just have to forgive him. He took a small step forward and thrust the pole out toward her gut, and still he tried to get the message to the Professor. There hadn't been any sort of answer, but would he answer? He might not want to startle Remy... It had still taken far too long even this far.

                She stumbling back slightly, not wincing. Straightening, she took a step forward as she regained her breath, expecting more. Her piercing blue gaze bore into his eyes, looking through him.

                "What is it you are waiting for?"

                He sneered at that and took a sweep at her legs, and pushed still forward at the same time, as he hoped to get her with his shoulder. 

                "Remy ain' waitin' fo' nuttin'! Yo' gonna see jus wha' he can do!" His eyes seemed to glow slightly now, really into the attack, but still he just wanted for the cavalry to arrive.

                Carol allowed her body to be shoved unceremoniously against the roof, pushing herself to her feet, face within inches of his, challenging him.

                "Then show me!" She practically screamed it. The farce was easy to read into, but whatever he was waiting for, it wouldn't be enough to stop her. She was merely toying with him now.

                Remy jumped back and readied for another swing... Then he felt that energy, ever present in his form, that energy that always pushed to be released into something else, disappear. He remembered that sensation, it had to be Leech. This made him grin, and he caught sight of them from the corner of his eyes. 

                Callisto, the tall one-eyed leader, Leech, the green-skinned power-suppressing child, and Mikhail Rasputin, the brother of Remy's old partner Colossus who just happened to be able to open rifts in reality. He must have used the shadow reflection of this reality, he'd said every reality had one, and they were far easier to travel through. Finally they'd made it. 

                "Now yo' goin' down, cheri." Remy planted his pole at the only part of the roof one could consider level and vaulted forward, one of his boots headed straight for her stomach.

                She didn't bother blocking; planning on using her ability to absorb it, channel the pain into the other entity in her borrowed mind. But the kick hit her full force, and she flinched as her head hit the ground. She felt the rain pelting against her body still, but the familiar surge of strength was gone. After fighting so long in her enhanced state, the return to normality sent her off-balance, and she felt.. weak. 

                She scrambled to her feet, panic setting in, and whirled to see the green skinned child, and the absence of her mutant powers, along with those she had borrowed. Unsure of what was happening, she immediately tried to focus on her hand to hand abilities alone - it was her last line of defense. 

                Her venomous glare turned on Remy once again, pushing the pain from Rogue's wounds and injuries to the back of her mind as best she could. Her attack speed was below normal, given her injured state, and there wasn't as much power behind them. She feinted a heel strike at Remy's head before turning to send a kick at his side.

                Remy easily blocked the kick with his pole, even pushed her leg up to send her off balance again, then swung as hard as he could at the collar on her neck. *Bam!* The metal shattered and slipped from her neck, circuits sparking and sputtering in the rain. The door was open for Xavier to at least render her unconscious. He caught Rogue as he body drooped and closed his pole up, then dropped it into

the large pocket he always kept it in. He lifted Rogue over his shoulder. It was over. 

                "Come on, cheri, time ta go get yo' fixed up..." 

                He headed for the portal as Storm flew off toward the Blackbird. Remy was there soon enough as well thanks to Mikhail's experience of negotiating realities where physics didn't always apply correctly. They parted ways there, though, and Remy thanked them all profusely. It wasn't long before the X-Men, injured comrades on board, were headed home.


	21. Chapter 19: Awake

                Chapter 19: Awake

                The next day the X-Men returned to the institute, their three remaining unconscious teammates held in separate rooms in the medical bay. Xavier explained to those involved how he'd repressed Carol for the second time, but there was a doubt that plagued each of their minds. The Professor apparently couldn't keep Carol dormant for good, so what was to stop her from taking over again? What if the next time it was for good and Rogue was lost forever?

                It was late at night, the only lights in the medical bay coming from the security lights in the lab and the dull glow of the monitoring equipment. Rogue had been brought back to dominance, but remained unconscious while she was recovering from her injuries - a bruised jaw, a couple of cracked ribs, and numerous other bumps and scrapes. Carol had certainly had her way with Rogue's body, and why not? Logan had tried to sneak in repeatedly to impart his healing factor to the girl, but was forbidden by Xavier. He had no way of predicting how she'd react to absorbing yet another entity.

                Rogue awoke to the all too-familiar sound of the beeping monitoring equipment, wincing. Every muscle in her body ached, unable to withstand Carol's use of enhanced speed and strength. The sting in her ribs was dulled slightly from painkillers. Unknowingly, she sat up, the rush of soreness nothing more than an overture to her semiconscious state. She unhooked the monitoring pads from her skin, and she stood from her bed.

                Where was she? What had happened? The amount of questions grew as she gazed emptily at the beds where Kurt and Scott lay, unmoving.

                She had no recollection of the events, but there was a deep, throbbing pain in her heart that told her she was responsible. She hadn't even the strength to form her expression into one of anguish. Before she realized it, she had wandered into Dr. McCoy's lab, two bright burning lights illuminating a tray of medical instruments. The stainless steel gleamed in the white light, the sharp edge of a scalpel cold, clean, and inviting.

                She was a danger to everyone around her, more so now than ever before. Her friends lay in hospital beds - what if she had killed them? She would never be free of Carol, of the people wanting to use her, manipulate her. She'd barely managed to cope with her lost sense of touch, but this was more than she could bear. More than anything, Rogue fervently swore that she'd gladly give up touching for the chance to feel like herself again.

                Idly, one bare hand reached out tentatively to brush the surface of the metal implement.

                Just then the door swung open and a slightly nervous looking Remy stepped in, carrying a dozen white roses. He'd spent his first hours back hustling to pay for them and he'd had to go against the Professor's wishes - not to mention Logan, who was still quite hostile at the thought of the Cajun being around Rogue - to bring them down to her. He thought it would be a nice surprise when she woke up, if she hadn't all ready. Though, when he saw her, he stopped dead, mouth slightly agape, not quite sure what to do or say.

                Rogue's head snapped up suddenly at Remy's entrance, a look of shame reflected in her eyes. Guiltily, she snatched her hand back, sending the tray of instruments crashing to the floor. She winced at the sound and obviousness of her actions, taking a few steps back like a child waiting to be scolded. 

                And what had she been doing? Rogue pressed one bandaged palm to her forehead, struggling with her own thoughts. No, she didn't want to do that. It wasn't her idea, was it? It couldn't be - it was Carol's, or someone else's.. It had to be. 

                Her gaze looked anywhere but at Remy, the pain from her injuries slowly resurfacing urgently.

                Remy sighed and walked toward her. He put an arm around her shoulders, without giving pause for her to resist, his hands gloved once again. He stood next to her and handed her the flowers. 

                "Remy bought dese fo' yo', cheri... He t'ought he should 'pologize fo' havin' ta rough yo' up a bit... He jus' wan'ed ta help is all... Remy swear..."

                Rogue looked up, holding the bouquet gingerly, too afraid to touch them with her bare skin. Her mind focused back on the present. Remy was here, but she couldn't look at his face. It was a lovely gesture, a part of her realized, but her conscience was overridden with too many questions. She didn't even know what the occasion was for him to give her flowers. What happened?

                She drew in a painful breath, the scent of roses pervading her senses. Her voice was strained and faint. "What have Ah done ta them?.."

                Remy sighed and shook his head, then slowly started to guide her back toward her bed. 

                "Oh, yo' didn' do nuttin', p'tite... Dat woman did it... Wasn' yo' fault none. We jus' didn' wan' ta hurt yo' too bad... Yo' gonna be all right, cher?" Remy was genuinely concerned, and it showed through.

                Rogue stopped moving, gripping his sleeve tightly. Her hands shook and her body trembled, and her expression was pained and shameful. The knowledge of what she had done, though not understanding really had her broken up.

                "No.. please. What happened? What did she make me do!"

                The Cajun frowned and rubbed her back gently. He did his best to comfort her, though he doubted it would help her take the news any better. 

                "Remy'll tell yo', on one condition... Yo' gotta at least sit down, or maybe jus' raise de head of de bed up an' lay down some... Relax a bit, don' wan' yo' ta hurt yo'self any mo'. Den he tell yo'."

                Rogue didn't say anything, but appeared to have conceded. Carefully she sat back on the hospital bed, immediately regretting it as the pain in her ribs flared up. With a short gasp she leant back on one elbow, calculating her movement as not to aggravate her injuries. Giving up, she lay back down on the pillows, grateful for the momentary comfort.

                Remy grabbed a chair and took the flowers, setting them on her nightstand as he sat next to her bed. He took a breath and thought about how to phrase it properly, and then he went about relating the whole incident to her. How he'd found her up in her room, what had happened, the search, Pietro's visit, their journey to the Savage Lands to find her, and the ensuing battle. When all was said and done he took another deep breath and looked down at the floor. 

                "Remy really hope yo' can fo'give him, p'tite... He jus' wan'ed ta help..."

                Rogue listened, staring at the ceiling. Thinking about all she had done under the control of that woman frightened her, and to think that the same person was right here, in her own head this very moment.. listening? She closed her eyes at the thought, willing it away. Turning her head to the side, she opened them to look at Remy. He'd seen everything. What he must think of her now. 

                "There nothin' ta forgive.. "

                Remy gave a little smile and reached out to run a few of his gloved fingers over her cheek. 

                "Well, den jus' humor him, huh? He didn' like havin' ta... yo' know... Tried his best ta not do too much damage..." 

                He sighed and leaned back. The Professor had said the same thing, that he just did what he had to do. Still, it just didn't feel... right to him.

                "Then if it makes ya feel better, Ah forgive ya.."

                The pain in her body was overwhelming at times, true enough, but it was just that - pain of the body. She understood that they weren't fighting her, they were battling against Carol, whom she was sure didn't feel any of it. It wasn't that part of Remy's story that bothered her the most. She was silent for a long while before speaking, staring back up at the ceiling, expressionless.

                "She had control of my powers.." It was less of a question and more of a statement, but there was still uncertainty behind it. 

                He didn't say anything. It was no small secret, at least to someone as experienced at reading people as Remy, that what she really wanted was to be normal. Not have to swim at night and keep her skin covered. If she could control her powers like that, she'd have it all. Somehow Carol had done it, and that had to tear her up inside.

                "Cher... Do yo' mind if Remy ask yo' somet'in... Yo' don' have ta ansah... He jus'... wan' ta ask..." 

                Maybe if he changed the subject a bit it would help, and there was something that nagged at him.

                Rogue didn't really need to know the answer, given his reply. According to his story, Carol had a fair amount of control, and the thought made her numb inside. Weakly, her mind raged at Carol - she disallowed Rogue to see any of her memories, and she couldn't use her powers or abilities either. If only she could, she'd be able to control her own powers, wouldn't she?

                "Yeah?"

                Remy took a deep breath and steadied himself, though he kept his eyes averted. There were some things even he wasn't good at doing, and asking these kinds of questions was one of them... At least, unless they were in jest. This definitely wasn't. 

                "Remy jus' wan'ed ta know... Wit' de t'ings dat happened aftah de pahty... was dat... Was dat jus' her actin', or..." He couldn't ask the rest of the question, but he hoped she understood. His hands clasped together nervously and he stared at them, having nothing else to look at.

                His query was greeted with a long silence. Rogue hadn't really thought about all that surrounded what Remy reported had happened after the party. Part of her denied it at first, it simply wasn't possible.. But Carol had a level of control she'd probably never be able to achieve. Rogue hadn't considered the event for what it was, either. She had absolutely no recollection of what Carol had done. 

                And what exactly had she done, and what had made him go along with it? What he must think of her.. A renewed feeling of shame washed over her. 

                "Ah don't remember any of it.. "

                He gulped and nodded, then chuckled a little nervously. 

                "Course not... Don' know wha' Remy was t'inkin'... Nevah mind dat, cheri, i's nuttin'... Well, if yo' not remembahin' anyt'in', den Remy t'anks yo' again fo' de lovely pahty..." He still didn't look up, though his hands had stopped their nervous movement now.

                Rogue watched the ceiling, not daring to look his way for fear of what she would find there. She didn't understand the tone behind his voice, or what was going through his mind. She wasn't as good at reading people as he was. Tracing her memories back, she remembered the party, the dance they'd shared, and then a headache.. That must have been the start of it.

                "Ah'm sorry."

                Remy waved a hand and leaned back a bit then sighed. 

                "Don' worry 'bout it, p'tite. Ain' nuttin at all... Aftah all, Remy jus' some swamp rat from down on de bayou, right?" He chuckled and stood up, a hand rubbing at the back of his neck. "Remy gonna let yo' get some rest... Yo' need it, aftah all..."

                "What is that supposed ta mean?"

                She was referring to his first comment, of course, about him being a swamp rat from the bayou. For some reason, it rubbed her the wrong way.

                Remy blinked and managed a confused glance at her as he thought back over his words. 

                "Yo' mean 'bout needin' rest? He wan' tryin' ta insult yo' none, jus' t'ought yo' could use some healin' still... Da's all."

                She hesitated, intending to correct him before deciding against it. Sighing inwardly, she could feel the pain and exhaustion - both physical and emotional - catch up with her. Sleep was looking very appealing.

                "Nevermind.."

                He shrugged and gave her a little smile. 

                "Sweet dreams, p'tite." 

                He made a hasty exit after that, hands shoved firmly in his pockets. Remy needed to find something to do, anything to take his mind off of... everything. Hopefully he wouldn't run into Logan on his way out. That was just the last thing he needed.

                                                                        * * *

                After a few days Xavier, along with the help of the always-talented Hank McCoy, had managed to fabricate a device that would suppress Carol - at least for now, and hopefully in the future - as well as Rogue's other personae she'd absorbed. Along with several mental blocks the Professor felt quite confident that she would be fine. Though he told Rogue she still wouldn't be able to access the memories of what happened, or Carol's ability to disable Rogue's powers. 

                The suppressor device was fixed into a pair of earrings - it was always best to have two, in case one malfunctioned - that Xavier instructed Rogue she should keep on at all times. That was the safest way. The first test was when he allowed Wolverine to lend her his healing factor, and things had gone well enough, Rogue still in control. The wounds in her hands healed, along with her ribs and assorted bruises. Doctor McCoy asked her to stay another night or two for observation, just in case, but after just a little over a week she was released. 

                The others had regained consciousness and let go before her, though everyone came for frequent visits. Despite Kitty's prodding, though, Gambit had kept his distance for the remainder of the time. Mostly he sat in his room, either reading - he'd taken a liking to Poe - or tossing cards into a hat. When he wasn't doing that he watched TV, and politely refused any offer to gamble, though Bobby Drake had gotten his own cards soon enough. Of course, things were much more even-handed then, since Bobby couldn't hustle them, but it just wasn't really the same without the charismatic Cajun.

                During the rest of her time in the ward, Rogue found it hard to face Kurt, Scott, and the others she'd hurt. Facing Logan was especially hard - the uncharacteristically tender looks he had given her made her feel especially guilty. The entire situation had torn him the most, and he was firmer than ever in his resolve to watch over her. He couldn't allow her to be taken away again.

                Finally, though, assured of the forgiveness of her friends, Rogue was released from the ward and left to her own devices. The Professor asked her to attend daily sessions in his office for a while afterward, just to check on her. Kitty had brought her down some of her own clothes - a long dark grey skirt, a black tee shirt, and the same black arm length gloves she'd worn with her dress the night of the party. She didn't dwell on this fact, however. She wrapped a sheer black scarf around her neck, the ends trailing down her back.

                It was late morning when Rogue wandered out of the med bay and through the mansion, looking for any sign of life. Her feet eventually brought her to Remy's door, on which she knocked softly.

                Remy shuffled about inside before he finally opened the door enough to look out into the hall. When he saw it was Rogue he blinked, then again, before he eventually smiled and opened the door a bit more. 

                "Hey dere, cheri, good ta see yo' up again... Yo' wanna come in? Remy ain' got no roommate, so yo' can jus' sit right down wherevah." 

                He stood back from the door and revealed his room with the single bed, three chairs, a small black and white TV, several packs of cards lying around of different sorts, as well as a few books, a lamp on his bed side table, and a poster depicting a New Orleans swamp. Pretty sparsely decorated, really, and the bit of the bathroom that could be seen through the other door in the room, cracked, showed it was small and probably just as undecorated. His trench coat was thrown on the bed and his boots lay next to the foot of it. He was wearing just his jeans and a plain t-shirt.

                Rogue wandered inside, gazing around at the decoration, or lack thereof. What was she expecting, Mardi Gras lights like at the party? Not likely. She pulled up the sleeve of her glove self consciously, fingering the lace.

                "Nice room. Ya should consider yaself lucky not havin' a roommate. At least it stays clean."

                She didn't move to sit down - she'd been in a bed for a week. The last thing she wanted was to sit still. Instead she walked over to the window, gazing out at the view it afforded him.

                "Ah haven't seen ya in a while. Been busy?"

                He shrugged and closed the door, then just leaned against the wall and slid his hands into his pockets. "Yo' know how t'ings can get, cher." He fidgeted slightly then returned to his chair, an open pack of cards on the arm rest which he picked up, and proceeded to toss the cards one-by-one into a hat on the floor, which all ready seemed to contain several different decks.

                She nodded absent mindedly, not really understanding what he meant. The room was silent for a while, and she couldn't think of anything to say. For lack of anything better to talk about, she decided to mention the device the Professor and Dr McCoy had given her.

                "So the Professah gave me these.. things.. They're supposed to help keep her from comin' back. All the others seem to be gone, too. Ah can't hear them n'more." 

                She realized what she must have sounded like. 'By the way, the voices in my head are gone, isn't that great?' She was crazy, and she knew it. Shaking her head inwardly, she glanced down at the windowpane, tracing the glass with one finger.

                Remy smiled at that and nodded. 

                "Dat's good, cheri, Remy glad dat yo' gettin' some peace." He finished off that pack and got up then searched out another of the packs he had laying around and busted that open then walked back to his chair to sit down again. "Kitty say dat yo' got yo'self some fast healin', yo' feelin' all bettah now?"

                Rogue nodded. "Yeah, Ah feel much better."

                She kept gazing down at the window pane as another awkward silence ensued. Except for when they were fighting, being with Remy had never been such an embarrassing experience. He hadn't come to see her much at all during the past week, and now he didn't seem as talkative as he usually was. It occurred to her now it must be for a reason - maybe he just didn't want to be around her anymore. 

                Why? There were a number of reasons for him to feel that way.. Her battle with him as Carol, the difficulty she'd caused him. Not to mention the situation after the party she'd been told about. That alone was reason enough for him to think less of her. 

                Rogue glanced up, smiling a bit. "Ah really should go.. There's a week's worth of laundry Ah'm sure Kitty didn't do. Ah'll see ya later.." With that she started across the room, making for the door.

                Remy sighed and thought quickly as he got up to get the door for her like a good gentleman. 

                "Jus' one t'ing, cheri, nevah got ta ask yo'... Did yo' like de flowahs?" He smiled at her, hand on the door knob, though he didn't open it just yet. "Kitty t'ought yo'd like dose bettah den de red ones."

                She stopped in front of him, remembering and smiling at the thought.

                "Yea, Ah had her put them in water for me.. Ah'm sorry, Ah forgot to thank ya. They're beautiful."

She managed to hold his gaze for a few moments, but couldn't keep it up for long.

                He grinned at that, and even blushed slightly as he opened the door for her with a shrug. "Weren't nuttin', p'tite... Didn' take Remy long ta get de money fo' dem. Bobby been practicin his cahds but he still ain' quite as good as ol' Remy." He leaned against the door a bit and watched her. "He be seein' yo, cheri... don' work yo'self too hahd..."

                Rogue nodded with a quick smile, disappearing down the hall.


	22. Chapter 20: I Against I

          Chapter 20: I Against I

          Remy was in the Danger Room with his oh-so-favorite person, Logan. Logan was dressed in a traditional white gi, a black belt tied around his waist, and he had a wooden staff in his hands. Remy stood across from him and wore just the pants of the outfit, the white belt still on, but the jacket discarded. 

          He was sweating quite heavily from the exertion of the training so far, though Logan was perfectly calm. Remy had a similar staff and was in a ready fighting stance, though Logan didn't seem to need to get ready. The holographic surroundings were that of an old Japanese temple with mats laid out for them to spar on. Racks of other weapons and oriental paintings decorated the temple and its paper walls, and a few paper lanterns burned to illuminate the area. 

          "All right, Gumbo, one more time. You have to loosen up, just let your body move with each strike and feel for the right way to counter. Keep your eyes open. Ready?" 

          Remy nodded, his breath came in quick pants, so he didn't bother talking. With that Logan was on him. It was almost like a dance the way they moved back and forth, though it obviously wore more on the Cajun, his muscles slick and glistening, and they quivered when too much strain was put on them. They'd been training for several hours now all ready and this was the last stretch. Remy just hoped he could finish it off.

          Rogue emerged from her room, wearing her usual X Men black and green body suit, having scheduled a training session today. Staying cooped up in her room only allowed her to think on subjects she'd rather be distracted from, and the Danger Room was the perfect place to work off nervous energy. 

          Entering the control room, she looked down through the glass to see Remy training with Logan. She glanced at the display panel - sure enough, it was the temple simulation. She was reminded vaguely of the scene from the Matrix, but quickly shook her head of the thought, staying instead to watch them.

          After a little back and forth the dance became more one-sided as Logan began to fall back to Remy's attacks. Remy grinned as he realized this, but it was a little premature. Just as he thought he'd be able to land a blow his defense was left open. The butt of Logan's pole took him square in the chest and Remy stumbled back, only to be tripped by a quick swipe. He landed on his back and stared up at the wooden rafters of the temple before Logan gave him a hand up. 

          "That was better, but you have to be sure to always have some kind of defense ready, or at least get out of the way."

           Remy sighed and nodded as Logan took both poles and put them on the proper rack. "That's all for today, swamp rat, you're startin' to smell like your homeland, and my nose doesn't take kindly to it. Go grab a shower." Logan walked out at that and the projected surroundings faded away, the weapon racks, actually metal rather than wood as they'd been shown with the image, retracted into the floor. 

          Remy sighed and grabbed the jacket of his outfit and walked out as well, snatching a towel from the hook as he hit the showers, only to emerge into the control room a few minutes later, still wet, but smelling more spring fresh.

          Rogue turned and gave him a bemused look.

          "Honestly, how much punishment can ya take?" She turned back to her random button pushing on the control panel, scrolling through the available training exercises. "Hmm.. Dinosaur Jungle? No thanks. Labyrinth? Had my fill of that. Hm. What do ya think?"

          None of the exercises interested her much. It was about time Logan let her design her own.

          If he didn't want to be around her anymore then he definitely didn't play the part. Once more clad in his usual t-shirt and blue jeans, the trench coat left in his room, he comes right up behind her and reaches out to the control panel as well. 

          "Hmm... how 'bout de Dahk Alley Muggin' trainin'? Dat's always useful stuff ta know." He grinned, ready to see the real Rogue in action.

          Rogue made a vague expression of distaste.

          "That's so.. women's self defense class. Ah'd like ta think Ah could handle a normal human mugger on the street." She tried not to think of his sudden proximity, it was distracting enough. She continued to scroll through the simulations, finally settling on one. "Wish me luck.. " 

          She left, disappearing down into the control room.

          Rogue appeared below, walking to the center as the simulation loaded. Since she was the only one training, she'd removed the top of her bodysuit, wearing instead a form-fitting white tank top. To those looking on the only change was the addition of a human sized droid, nothing exceptional. To her, the room didn't change at all, and the droid was a mirror image of herself, with its own AI. It measured her abilities and applied them to itself - a perfect match. 

          Rogue watched the copy. The only way to differentiate between the two was that the copy wore a plain black catsuit. It stood perfectly still until Rogue initiated the duel.

          Remy arched a brow as he looked on. He leaned forward and folded his arms on the sill of the window to look down into the Danger Room. This could definitely be interesting. Too bad no one else was there so he could take bets, he thought.

          There were few actual hits exchanged between the two, and the duel consisted mainly of a constant dance of blocked strikes and narrow dodges. The challenge here was beating yourself before running out of energy, as the droid was inexhaustible. 

          A fine sheen of sweat made Rogue's skin glow in the bright lights, and her tank top clung to her back and stomach. Soon her mind began to wander. She remembered returning to consciousness briefly during the time Carol had control.. it was raining, and she was wearing a catsuit similar to the one the droid was wearing now, though hers had been ripped and scuffed in several places. She remembered the pain too, and Remy's words. 

          Was this what it was like for them to fight her, as Carol? Carol. The thought of that woman fueled Rogue's movement, allowing her a vicious heel strike to the droid's face. It was Carol's fault that she'd hurt her friends, that she'd been hurt, and the cause of so much strife to those around her. Rogue began to unleash the pent up rage she'd held for Carol ever since she'd first given her trouble. Sent backward by a forceful kick, the droid's circuits crackled faintly. Rogue imagined the copy as Carol, as herself.

          The droid was on the receiving end of the self loathing and self pity Rogue held for herself as well. If she hadn't been so weak, so easily tempted, Carol would never have been able to hurt them. It was partially her own fault for having such tormenting powers, and being so useless to her teammates on the battle field. 

          Before long, Rogue's rate of attack had picked up a furious pace, and the simulation was more often struck then able to block.

          Remy watched with interest, especially as she started to seriously go after the droid. She was good. He knew that Logan had been training her, and he was impressed with the results. The man knew how to teach combat, or maybe Rogue just had a talent for it. Either way, she was damn good.

          Eventually her thoughts lapsed into even more obscure regrets in her life, the painful hand she'd been dealt. She thought of her home, David, her father. She leapt up towards the droid, twisting in mid air and swinging her leg around to deliver a solid kick to its face. The program ended abruptly and the droid's body sizzled and dropped, the head skidding along the floor. She stood looking at it, breath coming in a deep pant. Would Logan make her pay for that? Trying not to think about it, or anything else for that matter, Rogue disappeared back into the locker rooms.


	23. Chapter 21: GreenEyed Monster

                Chapter 21: Green-Eyed Monster

                It was the last month of summer, and it was one of the hottest all year. Most of the students were cooling off at the pool, while Rogue sat in the kitchen - the coldest room in the mansion. She sat with a frosted bottle of lemonade, cross legged at the kitchen table, sketch book open. There were no other people here, though random students appeared every now and then for a drink.

                "Hey Rogue!"

                She glanced up, shutting her sketch book at the same time.

                "Oh, hi Kitty."

                Kitty was sporting her bathing suit and a sari wrap, sunglasses on her head. Rogue herself wore a long skirt with a tank top with a sheer green shirt and gloves. Kitty looked around, expecting to see someone.

                "Where's Remy?"

                Rogue shrugged, "How should Ah know?"

                She'd sort of avoided him lately.. Not going out of her way to escape his presence, but not actively seeking it either. Kitty just gave her an odd look - it seemed like she had more work to do.

                As if on cue Remy came in and started to rummage through the fridge. He usually looked for Rogue, but had restrained himself from making trips to her room. Between her coming to see him and then keeping her distance he couldn't really sort out the mixed signals. He was always a sucker for the hard to get ones, though. Right now he was more worried about getting a sandwich, and the only hard part was deciding what to put on it.

                Rogue looked up and watched Remy enter, noting he either hadn't seen her or just decided not to look her way. She returned the gesture, flipping to a blank page. 

                Kitty blinked, looking between the two of them. Was something going on she didn't know about? Why weren't they talking? Usually they were all over each other.

                Kitty cleared her throat loudly. "Hi, Remy."

                Remy glanced over his shoulder then took another moment before he got up, setting several packets of lunch meats on the counter, a few leaves of lettuce, and a jar of mayo. 

                "Aftahnoon dere, ladies, Remy didn' see yo'... His stomach occupyin' most o' his attention right now." He grinned as he found some bread and a knife, then went about making quite a large sandwich.

                Kitty narrowed her eyes imperceptibly, watching as Remy - being the typical man he was - began to construct a very large and complicated sandwich. It was time to get out the big guns. Kitty turned back to Rogue, deliberately speaking loud enough for him to hear.

                "So Rogue, I got another call from Pietro while you were in the med bay. He wanted to know if you were alright, isn't that sweet?"

                Rogue glanced up at her, confused with a hint of annoyance. "How did he even find out Ah was sick?"

                Kitty blanked for a moment, and opted for a fib. "Well, ah, he called before looking for you, and I told you him couldn't talk because you were sick." Hmm, yes. Plausible. Satisfied, Kitty nodded to herself. 

                Rogue, on the other hand, was concerned more with his reasons for calling - the last time had been to report that Magneto was back, and look what had happened. His warning was made valid.

                "Did he say what he wanted?"

                Kitty barely hesitated, pretty good at fabricating stories on her feet. She stole a sideward glance at Remy, covering it by walking over to the fridge. "Well he mentioned wanting to go out sometime!" 

                Rogue could only scoff.

                Remy flinched at that, really nothing more than a slight hesitation in the meat laying process. Once that was done he spread the mayo and put on the lettuce, then promptly put what he hadn't used away and slammed the fridge shut before Kitty even got there. A few jars rattled in it as Remy took the knife over to the sink and dropped it in before he took a nice big bite from his sandwich, just so he didn't say anything stupid.

                Kitty jumped as Remy slammed the fridge door, stealing more looks at him. Inside she was squealing with delight - she was getting to him. She decided to push the matter further.. what were the chances of Pietro showing up and blowing her story anyway?

                "I totally think he likes you."

                Rogue kept her eyes on the table to keep herself from shooting Kitty and dark looks.

                "And Ah totally think you're deranged.."

                "Oh come ON, Rogue. I know he can be sort of arrogant and macho sometimes, but everyone's annoying like that in some way. You have to admit he's got a totally nice bod." Kitty looked once again at Remy as she said this, and Rogue glance up to catch her look. Just what was the girl playing at?

                Remy just went on with the sandwich and bit off another big piece, then started to search through the cupboards for something. Logan had mentioned tea was good for calming down during their last training session. That guy seemed like he planned on turning Remy into a real samurai or something. 

                Remy found some cold-brew instant tea and decided that's all he had the patience to make right now. He set his sandwich down and got a glass of ice, dumped it in a pitcher, and started to fill it with water, his jaw clenched tensely. He'd need quite a bit of tea.

                Rogue watched Kitty for a few moments, not thinking much of Remy's actions. If the girl wanted to play at this game, so could she. She'd trap her in her own design.

                "Ya know Kitty, you're right.. He can be annoyin', but he's not all that bad. Real easy on the eyes, too. Ah think Ah'll take him up on his offer." Rogue watched with satisfaction as the girl's face fell. Gutted, Kitty.

                There was a twitch in Remy's upper lip. He grabbed shoved his hand into the box and jerked some bags out then tossed them in the water, though he at least had the mind about him to keep the strings out. He searched through the drawers, not being very gentle with them for a spoon to stir the tea with, making no small amount of noise in the process. His day had suddenly taken quite the dive.

                Kitty followed Rogue's confused gaze to Remy, who seemed to be having a disagreement with the kitchen as a whole. Excellent. On one hand, she was totally making Remy jealous. On the other, Rogue wanted to go out with Pietro! That was disturbing enough in itself, but for the fact that Kitty would certainly be caught in her lie. But it couldn't be true.. Rogue was pulling her leg. she could play at that, too.

                "Great! I'll call him then to tell him." Kitty made immediately for the phone as Rogue's face dropped in turn - she couldn't be serious. Kitty turned to look at Remy while she looked up Pietro's number.            "Hey Remy, are you, like, okay over there?"

                His search had thus far yielded no results and he slammed another drawer shut as he looked over at her with a very forced smile. 

                "Why, Remy jus' peachy, cher, jus' bad at findin' t'ings is all." 

                With that he resumed his search, though he tried to be a little less obviously agitated. Finally he found a spoon that would do and stirred the tea a bit then grabbed his sandwich and took a vicious bite as he waited for the tea to finish, whenever that was supposed to be.

                Rogue watched Remy curiously. What was his problem? Her attention was once again seized by Kitty, who had her hand on the receiver. Rogue jumped up from her seat, forcing Kitty to hang up.

                "Ah can call him myself, thank ya very much!"

                "Fine then." Kitty stood back, arms folded as she waited. Rogue scoffed.

                "Ah'll call him when Ah feel like it."

                "Oh. Alright.." Kitty conceded, and both girls mentally sighed in relief. Crisis now averted, they both turned their attention to Remy, who was still acting agitated. Kitty exclaimed suddenly.

                "Hey, is that tea! Let me help." She walked over to Remy, moving to take over the stirring while Rogue's heart rate began to slow once more. What was that Logan said about tea helping you calm down?

                "Ah could go for some tea."

                Remy shrugged and headed for the doorway. Suddenly he wasn't thirsty. 

                "Help yo'selves... Remy jus' fine wit' his sandwich..." 

                He walked off toward his room, munching at the large sandwich as he mentally cursed himself for not making a move sooner. He'd been waiting for her and bam, someone else swoops in. It was his own fault, really. He'd just missed his window.

                Kitty watched Remy leave, smirking inwardly while pouring her and Rogue glasses of tea. 

                "I wonder what was up with him." She faked a gasp of realization. "Hey, do you think he was, like, jealous?"

                Rogue shot Kitty a dark look. Is that what she was playing at? 

                "Why would he be jealous?" Rogue wasn't sure what that had to do with anything, but it seemed like a good thing to say at the time.

                "Oh come on Rogue, Remy totally has a thing for you."

                The goth girl scoffed once more. That simply couldn't be true. 

                "No he does not."

                "Sure he does!"

                "No he doesn't."

                "Well of course he -"

                "He does not, Kitty! He's got some girlfriend down in New Orleans." That came out more bitterly than she'd meant it, but Kitty's insistence was getting on her nerves. 

                "He- what?"

                "Ya heard me, he told me about her. So he does *not* have a thing for me."

                Kitty stared into space for a long moment. But.. she couldn't have mistaken the way he'd acting towards Rogue before, and he had just been totally jealous, she knew it. But if he already had a girlfriend.. It simply couldn't be true.

                Rogue ignored Kitty's confused look, anger simmering just under the surface. What business was it of hers anyway, to start setting her up like this? The fact that it wasn't true - neither Pietro's invitation nor Remy's alleged affection - was the most hurtful part. Guys simply didn't go for girls they couldn't touch. Didn't Kitty get that? 

                Glass of tea in hand, Rogue gathered her belongings and stormed out of the kitchen not long after Remy, leaving behind a very confused Kitty.

                                                                         * * *

A few minutes later there was a knock at Remy's door, a cheerful Kitty with a glass of tea as an offering.

                Remy peeked out then ushered her in with a sigh, still with half his sandwich. He took the tea gladly and sat in one of his chairs heavily, still not looking particularly happy. 

                "Yo' need somet'in, cheri?... Yo' can go on an' sit if yo' wanna... So how yo' li'l match-makin' goin' wit' p'tite an' who's-his-face?"

                "I just came by to see how you were, you looked kind of upset earlier." 

                Kitty looked around his room curiously before sitting down, sipping her own tea. She noted his unhappy demeanor. If he was so bummed out over Rogue going out with Pietro, then Rogue's story didn't make sense.

                "Oh, Pietro? I doubt she'll call him." Normally she wouldn't have let up so soon, but Remy looked very, very agitated. She glanced up at the poster of the swampland. "So you must miss New Orleans. Do you have any family down there? Parents, siblings, girlfriends.." 

                Kitty wasn't really a master of subtlety.

                Remy was just about to question the whole show they'd made of talking about Pietro's good points, and then Kitty basically pushing that aside. Then he sighed and took another bite of his sandwich as he thought for a moment. 

                "Jus' Pa an de othah T'ieves... He had some sweethahts, sho', aftah all, Remy jus dat cha'min'." He managed a trademark grin. "Dat all behind him now, dough... Yo' know?" He shrugged and took another bite of his sandwich.

                Kitty thought about it, weighing it with what Rogue had told her. Alright, so what if he had an old flame? He didn't seem too hung up on her now. Then what was Rogue's problem? Kitty looked at Remy again, smiling a bit.

                "Do you feel better now?"

                Now? Now that what? She didn't say it outright, but suspected it easily enough.. Even she knew it'd be a million years before Rogue would ever go out with Pietro.

                Remy arched a brow at that as he chewed, then swallowed and took a nice long drink of the tea. 

                "Wha' do yo' mean? Feel bettah now?" He frowned. "An' how do yo' know dat p'tite ain' gonna be callin' dat guy latah?" He watched her and leaned forward, looking at her.

                She giggled, waving a hand dismissively in the air.

                "Oh, Pietro totally annoys her, always has. Besides, do you really think she'd go out with Magneto's son?" She shook her head at him as if he were crazy, though it had been her idea originally.

                Remy blinked and stared at her, then leaned back a bit and thought for a moment. Maybe he'd not understood correctly, but he thought that Kitty had started the conversation, and that Rogue had acted with interest. Though, at first she hadn't... Could he have missed some sarcasm there? He blinked again and sighed, then shook his head. 

                "Don' know wha' Remy was t'inkin'... Den again, she don' seem ta show interest in anyone... Course, if Remy couldn' touch people, he prob'ly wouldn' be lookin' fo' someone eithah."

                Kitty shifted in her seat uncomfortably, face suddenly gloomy.

                "Yea, well, she did have that thing for Scott once. But even though she has crushes just like anyone else, she doesn't really act on them. It's hard to get closer to someone if you, like, can't touch them. That's part of the reason she shuts herself in all the time."

                Remy chuckled as he finished off his sandwich. 

                "Oh, Remy know dat, sho' nu-" He stopped and blinked. What had he just said? He shut his mouth and looked around, then sipped his tea and tried to think of a way to get out of that slip... The fact was, he did know how hard it was getting close to Rogue, but he couldn't admit this. Kitty was Rogue's friend, after all, he had to be careful about what he said around her.

                Kitty blinked as she watched his gaze flounder for a moment, but inside she was beaming. Oh, this was most definitely in the bag. Outside, though she maintained a casual expression, not so gloomy now as matter-of-fact. 

                "Well we all know that, it must be really tough on her." She paused before giving voice to a new thought. "But that woman, the one who took over Rogue... Well, she had control over Rogue's powers, right? So like, now we know its possible! Rogue will eventually learn to control them, too." At least, Kitty hoped.

                Remy cleared his throat and nodded. 

                "Remy'll keep his fingahs crossed fo' her..." He sipped at his tea against and thought for a moment. "So, cher, does p'tite have any crushes right now? Yo' can trust Remy, he good wit' gossip." He chuckled and winked at her as he finished the tea and picked up a deck of cards and started to shuffle them.

                Kitty gave thought to the question. It wasn't too long ago when she was certain Rogue had at least a small crush on Remy. She had been closer with him than she was with anyone. But lately she seemed to be avoiding him. Did they have a fight or something? No, that couldn't be.. Kitty shrugged.

                "I don't know, or at least I don't think so. But Rogue's not exactly the type of girl who'd show it, much less admit it." Kitty's face took on a confused expression. "Still, there were times when she was, like, totally obvious with Scott. Dunno how he missed that."

                He blinked at that. What if he had missed something? Or maybe he hadn't. Well, this turned out to be raising more questions than it answered, which was never a good thing. It seemed that he still had time, though... He smiled and stood, his cards put down on the arm of the chair, and took the empty glass. 

                "Remy need ta do some t'ings, cher... yo' mind takin his glass back fo' him? He really appreciate it." He gave her his best charming smile, though he still felt off his game. Probably would be all day. Oh well, he'd just make plans for today and move in the next, if everything went well.

                Kitty returned his smile with a grin, standing up. "Sure, no problem. I'll see you later Remy!" Taking his glass, she disappeared into the hallway.


	24. Chapter 22: A Date?

                Chapter 22: A Date?

                Rogue sat out on her dorm building's patio, lounging in a chaise. It was another hot day, so for temperature's sake she wore a long dark skirt with a slit up the side, from which she bared as much leg as possible. Besides, Kitty was always on her case about soaking up some vitamin D. She wore a low cut long sleeved shirt and thin gloves, which held a paperback book, covered. She claimed it was for summer reading - it was the school's book, she said, and needed to be covered. A likely tale. For a class assignment, she flipped the pages rapidly, all of her attention engrossed in the narrative.

                Remy walked slowly toward her in a black cut-off tee, blue jeans, and - of course - boots. He smiled down at her and cleared his throat softly. 

                "Don' wanna intarrupt yo', chere, yo' seem ta be havin' a nice time, Remy jus' like ta ask yo' somet'in." 

                Bobby and Evan stood almost casually at the corner of another building and tried to hide the fact that they were watching, as Remy had told them not to. Let's just say the two just aren't in the same league as James Bond, or even one of those people who sit in their attic with binoculars. Though it didn't really matter to them, Remy deserved whatever torment they could dish out since he kept enjoying their money.

                Rogue glanced up suddenly and snapped her book shut, startled. It took her mind a few moments to remove itself from the novel world and shift back into reality. She smiled once she realized who was talking to her.

                "Oh, hi.." His question hadn't really registered. "Uh, what can Ah do ya for?"

                Remy arched a brow at that. She sure acted strange, almost like she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't. He glanced at the book and saw it covered... What book was it? Then something dawned on him, she was hiding what she was reading. Remy being who he is was instantly curious and stepped a bit closer as if to say something more, then just snatched the book and turned his back to her. 

                He stepped away a bit and pulled the cover back to look at the book. He chuckled and grinned as he saw what it was: A romance novel. One of the nice cheesy ones with the bare-chested hero and his silk-dressed heroine on the cover. He flipped through a few pages, still grinning. 

                "Gee chere, dis sho' is some stimulatin' readin' yo' got heah. Remy don' recall seein' dis on de summah readin' list."

                Rogue jumped up immediately, indignant. Her blush showed faintly through even her goth makeup. She grabbed his arm roughly, grabbing at her book.

                "Hey, that's mine!" She snatched it back from him, hastily putting the cover back on. "Do ya mind?!"

                Beneath her anger, her stomach twisted with embarrassment. What she read was none of his business.. The Goth couldn't be caught dead reading dime novels - what would happen to her elusive, icy exterior then? 

                He turned and smiled at her, and reached up with a gloved hand to brush a few locks of hair from her face. 

                "Don' get yo'self in a twist, p'tite, Remy won' tell no one... Like he say, he jus' came ta ask yo' a question, he ain' look fo' no trouble from yo'." Remy did his best to be charming and disarming, as pissing her off wouldn't be a good start toward his goal.

                She shot him a dangerous glare, but seemed more or less pacified now that she had her book back.. Even if he did tell, he had no proof. Besides the situation at hand, another part of her mind mused on their situation in general. Was this what their relationship was degraded to since a week of avoiding each other? Back to square one, with Rogue on the receiving end of Cajun vexation? For the love of God.

                Her tone of voice was a little agitated, but she didn't feel like aggravating the situation.. Next thing she knew she'd get another playing card in the rear.

                "Then ask it, Cajun." 

                She tried to ease up on the name calling too, 'swamp rat' was slightly more demeaning.

                "Remy jus' wondahed what yo' was doin' tonight, p'tite... Dey playin' dat new Ben Affleck movie 'round eight tanight, an' he t'ought yo' might like ta go... Dat book make him seem right, too." He chuckled and shrugged casually. "Course, yo' don' have ta, Remy jus' lookin' fo somet'in ta do tonight..."

                There were so many things wrong with that entire thing. Her face deadpanned.

                "Ben Affleck?..." Okay, so she read romance novels, but that didn't make her some kind of teeny bopper. "Ah hope ya don't mean that new one with him an' JLo.. Ah can't stand-"

                Rogue's sentence was cut short when her gaze fell past Remy to Bobby and Evan, who were still watching them from a distance and snickering. Rogue did a double take, and then looked back at Remy questioningly. What was this, some kind of bet?

                "Why?"

                Remy blinked, then sighed. Swing and a miss. He still had two strikes though, if this went totally cold. Then he saw her look over and he realized that Bobby and Evan were there. He'd have to take care of them later, but kept the irritation off his face. 

                "I's okay if yo' don' wan' ta, chere, Remy undahstand..."

                Rogue watched him for a moment before shooting an annoyed glare at Bobby and Evan, who caught it, freezing up. She smirked at them. They probably didn't think she'd accept, and were probably joking about Remy this very moment. It threw her a little off balance, as she'd convinced herself he'd been avoiding her, but maybe he wanted to hang around with her again. As long as he kept the flirting to himself, it couldn't be that bad.

                "Ah'll tell ya what.. We'll see that new British zombie flick. Then Ah'll go."

                Remy grinned and nodded. 

                "Dat's much bettah... Remy ain' much fo' dose pop icons hisself, really. An' if you get scahed, den Remy can' comfort yo'." He chuckled and looked down at his watched quickly. "Remy swing by ta pick yo' up at yo' room, all right, chere? An' he won' tell no one if dat make yo' feel bettah." 

                He sighed inwardly, it had actually gone well. He'd had his doubts at first, since he hadn't seen her much lately, but Remy was relieved that seemed enough at ease with him to go.

                Rogue stole another glance at Bobby and Evan, who just watched with blank expressions. They couldn't quite believe it. She allowed Remy a small smile before turning to walk back into her dorm.

                "Ah'll see ya then."

                                                                                    * * *

                Later that evening Rogue sat in her room, thinking. Her feminine instinct told her she should change, look nice.. But her mind argued it. It wasn't a date or a special occasion or anything, it was just her and Remy hanging out. They'd hung out around the mansion, and she hadn't felt the need to dress up. In fact, the only time she'd dressed up was for his birthday, and that was under duress from Kitty. Still, she had to admit it was a somewhat liberating experience. A little too liberating, she guessed, as it didn't take long for Carol to tap in. So much for that line of thought.

                Kitty suddenly burst into their room.

                "Oh my GOD. You're like, going on a date with Remy, and you didn't even tell me? Rogue, we have to get READY!"

                Rogue's jaw hung slack a bit at the speech, completely caught off guard. What??

                "It's not a *date*, Kitty, we're just goin' ta see a movie!"

                Kitty just laughed, immediately crossing the room to rummage through Rogue's closet.

                "Whatever, like, floats your boat, Rogue. Think you should wear another dress? No, it's been done.. How about this mini skirt!"

                Rogue groaned, standing up and steering Kitty away.

                "There's no reason for me ta dress up! Hey!!" Rogue paused suddenly, looking off into the distance as if listening. "Do ya hear that?"

                Kitty froze, looking at Rogue with wide eyes. "What is it..?"

                Rogue looked at her with an expression of awe and portent. "Ah think hear Rahne fightin' with Jean.. Rahne's tryin' ta steal Scott?"

                Kitty's face fell.

                "Oh my GOD!"

                In a matter of seconds, the girl was already half way down the hall to watch the scandalous fight. Rogue just rolled her eyes, turning back to her closet.

                "Gullible.."

                Several minutes later Remy strolled up to her door and knocked as he leaned against the door frame. He had a black and red bandana tied around his forehead to keep his hair out of his eyes and smelled quite nice, Old Spice of course. Remy wore his same old brown, scuffed up boots, but looked rather spiffy aside from that. He had on a pair of pressed black dress slacks and a crisp, new white t-shirt which complemented his musculature nicely. 

                Whatever Rogue had in mind, he was quite convinced he'd finally managed a date with her, being so inspired after he thought he'd lost his chance to Pietro. You had to live life while it was there to be lived. So, with that in mind, he put on his most charming smile and waited.

                Shortly Rogue opened the door, suddenly glad that she had decided to change. She was wearing a French Victorian shirt, black slightly see through material bound at the arms and empire waist with crimson trim. She wore simple black pants, boot cut with her typical black boots, and of course, thin black gloves.

She gave his outfit an appreciative look, tone in jest.

                "No need ta dress up for me, Cajun."

                Remy chuckled at that and ran a black-gloved hand through his hair. That was a nervous tick he never quite remembered to cover up, but he wasn't nervous often enough for it to be obvious, at least. 

                "Aw, Remy would feel bad if he jus' wore de same ol' t'ing an' yo' gonna look so pretty." He swept an arm, motioning down the hall. "Shall we, chere? Scott lettin' Remy borrow his cah, so yo' don' have ta wait fo' Remy ta hotwire anyt'ing dis time."

                "Then Ah'm assumin' ya didn't tell Scott how ya drive.."

                She started down the hall, but seemingly the mention of Scott's very name summoned Kitty back up the stairs, looking shocked.

                "Rogue!"

                Kitty paused, seeing Remy walking with her. So they were leaving on their date! And Rogue had decided to dress up after all. That was one less thing to scold her for.

                "I couldn't fine Jean or Rahne, like, anywhere!"

                Rogue just walked past with a bemused expression, ruffling the girl's hair sympathetically. Poor girl.

                Kitty, on the other hand, watched the two as they went downstairs. Here Remy had dressed up so nice to take her out on a *date*, and Rogue was STILL totally clueless.. Kitty shook her head. Poor girl.


	25. Chapter 23: A Date With Disaster

                Chapter 23: A Date With Disaster

                Remy walked with her to the garage and the two soon departed in Scott's lovely convertible. Scott probably wouldn't like the way Remy drove, but he hadn't been unable to pay the money he'd bet in a game of blackjack Bobby had finally talked him into playing with Remy. He'd hoped that bringing in fresh meat would make Remy let up on the rest for awhile. It had served the Cajun's purposes, so he peeled out of the driveway and into town. 

                Of course, Remy didn't particularly enjoy uncomfortable silences when he had something to say, so he opted for some small talk. 

                "So wha' was de li'l one talkin' bout back dere, p'tite?" He glanced over at her with a small grin.

                Rogue puzzled over the question for a moment before giving a short laugh.

                "Oh, Ah just made up a story to get her off my case.. The girl is way too gullible."

                She knew if she'd allowed Kitty to stay she'd now be dressed in an even fancier outfit - possibly in Kitty's own clothes, and no doubt with sparkly eye shadow and lip gloss. The image of herself dressed like Kitty made Rogue scoff. Kitty's heart was in the right place, but the Goth look was way beyond her grasp.

                Remy chuckled as he slid through a turn. He loved powerful cars like these, and he especially liked to do the fancy tricks they did in the movies like that. It was just so much fun. 

                "Dat's too bad, chere, Remy sho' like de way she dressed yo' up fo' his party." He shrugged and glanced over at her again. "Course, yo' look jus' as nice in dat."

                As soon as his latest vehicular stunt was over, Rogue leaned her elbow on the car door, brushing his comments aside with a newly acquired type of parry. It allowed her to sound appreciative while at the same time making any further compliments out of place, even disallowed. Her tone was light and dismissive.

                "Save it, Cajun."

                She admitted she'd liked wearing the dress possibly as much as Remy liked looking at her in it. But she didn't remember anything that happened after she left the party, and now the dress was missing in action. For one queasy instant, she wondered if it had been lost during the little episode Carol had with Remy.

                He just smiled and kept on with the drive. He didn't expect her to suddenly open up and become different; she still couldn't take compliments like people such as Kitty could. He was sure she still liked them, though. Remy pulled into the theatre parking lot and found a space pretty close to the doors. 

                "Here we are, p'tite." He climbed out and waited for her. "An' don' worry bout de tickets an' refreshments, Remy treatin' tonight. He ain' gonna let yo' say othahwise, eithah." And he wouldn't. She could just not like it if she wanted, but he had to retain his gentlemanly status.

                Rogue shrugged as she got out of the car, following him into the cinema and not entertaining any thoughts of refusal, not putting up any kind of a fight.

                "If ya insist."

                Besides, she was sure he'd hustled enough cash from his favorite black jack plays to cover the night. And she'd most certainly take him up on it - it wasn't like she had much cash to spare, besides her allowance.

                At the ticket counter, Rogue rolled her eyes annoyedly - the guy was carding her and not Remy for the R movie. How patronizing.. She handed the ticket guy her ID impatiently.

                After the ticket counter Remy got drinks and some popcorn, the staples of a movie going experience. As they took their seats and waited for the movie to start, he casually draped his arm over her shoulders. He was at complete confidence now, since he'd not only gotten her to say yes, but she'd actually dressed up for him, and without Kitty there to force her.

                Rogue had settled back into her seat, crossing her legs and waiting for the real previews to start. When Remy put his arm around her, she turned her head to give him a pointed look. She didn't say anything else though, just shook her head slightly and slumped back into her seat with another handful of popcorn. She'd been expecting him to try and get more cozy with her like he always did, but didn't think much of it. He did that with everyone. But at least for tonight, she decided, she'd try to put up with it.

                The previews were vaguely uninteresting.. Another comic book-made-movie, some teen flick starring a pop singer, and yet another cheesy slasher movie. Then finally, the feature presentation.

It started out a bit strangely.. including a few shots of frontal male nudity. Who really needed to see that?

The movie had its share of gore as virus-infected humans turned on each other in blind murderous rages, following a handful of survivors trying to escape the zombies... It included a fair amount of suprise scariness, which caused Rogue to jump more than once. The female lead's angsty persona and no-nonsense brutality appealed to her, and even the small bit of romance was believable.

                Remy enjoyed the movie and wasn't really taken by surprise; at least he never showed it. It was nice and entertaining, though he wasn't scared easily. Still, he had to admit that it was quite suspenseful at times. When it was over he sighed and got up with a little stretch and smiled at Rogue in the slowly rising light. 

                "Well dat was good, hm chere?"

                The rest of the crowd, which was pretty small as far as movie crowds go, had all risen as well, starting into the aisles when what appeared to be some kind of entourage entered. Several large, tough looking men posted themselves in front of all the exits, and more still began to line up down the aisles, preventing any further movement. At the front of the theater a well dressed, trim looking man raised his hands to the audience.

                "My friends, please settle yourselves. We are sorry to disturb your evening, but we must run one of a series of necessary screens.. " He cleared his throat as the people sat back down, uncertain. "The mutant threat has grown beyond proportion, and the danger to the public with it - as evidence by the murder of a Friends of Humanity member here in Bayville just months ago. It is vital now more than ever that these reckless killers are identified. Some may be your neighbors, your school mates, some in this theater at this very moment." The people exchanged murmurs but made no move. "This will be just a simple test, no more than a bee sting.. Humans have nothing to fear."

                Rogue shot a panicked look at Remy - they wouldn't need to test him to figure out he was a mutant, the demon eyes gave him away. She whispered hastily.

                "There are too many.. "

                Remy sat back down in his seat like the others who had all ready risen and draped his arm around her shoulders again, this time so he could lean closer and whisper to her. 

                "Don' worry, chere... Dere dat back exit overe dere... We jus' need ta jump over dese seats quick enough, an Remy know yo' pretty fast yo'self..." Remy looked at the bag of popcorn, there was still a nice amount left in the bag. It didn't have the same flare as cards, but it would work... hopefully. "Remy can covah de escape othahwise..." 

                He watched as they made the people on the ends of the rows get up and start filing out. They each had to pass one of the large men, and they had metal rods about the size and shape of test tubes with two lights on them. The flat ends were pressed against the skin of the arm and the round end was depressed, which shot several tiny needles through the epidermis and collected a blood sample. The needles were small enough they didn't cause bleeding, but it still stung. After every sample one of the two lights would flash on. 

                So far only the red had appeared, and those people were let go. Then someone in one of the rows back a bit got a green light... and they were promptly drug out. Remy frowned at that. They weren't kidding around. 

                "Jus' follah Remy's lead, chere... Now!" 

                With that he brought his foot up to the seat and pushed up and over, then his other foot came down on the back of the next seat and he ran across the backs of the seat, as nimble as a cat. He just hoped Rogue would follow as a few of the men were all ready on the move to intercept them. 

                "They're running! Stop them!" Now everyone knew, even those who had been too wrapped up in their own matters to pay attention. No other way out, now.

                Rogue leapt up, following suit as the guards ran towards them, several of them slipping one hand into the insides of their jackets. They were packing some kind of heat. The devices looked vaguely like handguns, but with no bullet chambers. 

                A couple of the men leveled their aim at the two fleeing mutants and fired. Rogue, still several rows behind sprung forward, diving over the remaining seats and landing in a roll onto the floor, a few dart like projectiles striking the tiles near her. Her progression was delayed for a short moment while she regained her footing.

                Remy managed to maneuver from side to side as the darts came toward him, then jumped to the floor and whirled around. His hand reached into the popcorn bag and grabbed some, then pulled it out, the kernels all ready tinged red as he charged them. The men closed in and kept their aim. 

                "Drop it, mutant! You're coming with us." 

                Remy grinned. "Sho', he drop dis gladly..." 

                With that he whipped the charged popcorn at them. Several small bursts stung at them, burned holes in their clothing, and temporarily took out their vision. That was all the distraction he needed, so Remy ran back towards the door and jerked it open for Rogue to get through. Before he ran out, though, he raised his free hand up in the air, clenched into a fist. "Mutant freedom!" Then he ran out the door as well.

                Rogue sprinted through the door, not pausing to watch Remy's attack or the effect. The exit opened into an alley where the back of the cinema met the walls of the shopping strip on the same block. She slowed down as she emerged from the door before she felt herself being propelled forward again, having barely enough time to bring her hands up before she was slammed into the brick wall, a stinging pain in her back. 

                She whirled, ready to fight, only to find both ends blocked by more guards, one of whom leveled a dart gun at her chest. She paused for a moment as if in defeat, catching him off guard as a quick swipe disarmed him, and another strike to the temple sent him crumpling to the ground. All in the span of a few seconds, the others rushed her.

                Remy had joined her by then and turned to face down one side of the alley. He grabbed more popcorn this time and charged it longer, so when it exploded the guards stumbled back. Remy rushed forward at that and he jumped, dropping one with a vicious kick. His momentum carried him back around to wind one with a punch to the solar plexus. 

                Remy was ready for a fight, whatever he had to do to get Rogue out safely. He didn't doubt she could handle herself, but he was the one that had brought her here, so it would be his fault if anything bad happened.

                Rogue faced her group of attacks with a controlled amount of ferocity. They appeared to have to no qualms about fighting a girl - she was a mutant after all, so they didn't let up at all. Rogue had managed to drop a few of them with some carefully aimed strikes at the head before the other guards emerged behind them from inside the cinema, splitting to attack them both from behind. 

                Rogue was shoved roughly in the back, stumbling forward to receive a vicious backhand to the side of her face, the force sending her against the wall. She caught herself, jaw stinging. Whether it was the dirty move or the strike to the face, it was clear enough Rogue was now extremely pissed off. She seemed to have adopted Logan's short fuse in battle, as well as his skill. 

                Pushing herself off the wall, she leveled a powerful kick at one man's lower half, his hope to father children more than likely lost forever. She dropped down to sweep another, delivering an elbow strike to his face as soon as his head hit the ground. His nose broke, blood spurting.

                Remy was not oblivious to those who came up behind him. As one tried to punch him he used a throw he'd learned in training and used the man behind him to bowl over the rest in front of him. He spun and kicked another man back down the stairs, further congesting the situation. Now as the perfect time to run, and run he did. 

                He went past Rogue and threw himself into the rest, then rolled to his feet to beat them back a bit more before he grabbed Rogue by the hand and pulled her with him. He ran through the parking lot toward Scott's car as a few of the FoH came from the front of the theatre. He let Rogue go as he vaulted over into the driver's seat and pulled the keys out, then started it up. They were almost home free.

                Rogue used one hand to vault over the car door, landing unceremoniously in the passenger seat.

                "Go!"

                As if he needed to be told. She braced herself as the car peeled out of the parking lot, the FoH members stopped in front of the theater to watch. It was all they could do, and giving chase would only lead to an encounter with the law. One member recognized Remy from the attack in the plaza, and the pair would never be forgotten.

                Remy tore through the streets even though it appeared they weren't being chased. Better safe than sorry. So, rather than head back to the Institute, he drove back to that spot which overlooked the ocean that he seemed to like. Remy sighed and turned the car off, but left the keys in the ingnition. 

                "Remy t'ink it best ta lay low fo' awhile ta make sho' dey ain' comin aftah us... Don' wanna lead dem back ta de school... dat only bring trouble..."

                Rogue nodded half heartedly. She'd found that in all the excitement she'd forgotten to breathe, and now she was panting deeply - partially from the physical exertion, and part from the adrenaline rush. Her heart was still pounding. She tried to slow her breathing down, and it was when she opened her mouth to speak that she felt the sting in her jaw. One hand shot up to her cheek, which she quickly covered by continuing the upward motion, running one shaking hand through her hair.

                "What if they got the license plate?"

                Remy sighed and shrugged. "Bein a mutant ain' against de law... at least not yet, chere. I's all self defense so fah..." He looked over at her with a smile. "Sorry dat our li'l date had ta be intarrupted like dat... Dough, aside from de ignorant humans, wasn' dat, bad, hm?" He chuckled and turned to look back out over the ocean.

                Rogue's mind hesitated over the word 'date' until she shook her head. Why was she worrying over whether or not this was a "date" when just minutes before they'd been attacked by anti-mutant activists? She berated herself silently for being so juvenile, and managed a small smile before it faded as quick as it came.

                "Yeah, it was nice.." 

                It seemed, however, that any time they were having fun together, some mutant hater group or vengeful psychic entity or evil archenemy arrived and ruined it. Just her luck.

                She looked down at herself, looking much more disheveled and worse for wear than when she'd first met Remy to go out, on their date or whatever anyone chose to call it.. Glancing in the mirror, she wiped away some blood on her chin with the back of her hand. Not her blood, she noted grimly.

                Remy checked his watch, and after a few more minutes he started up the car and drove off. He parked the car in the garage at the Institute and walked with Rogue right up to her door. This was the part of the date, if one chose to call it that, where the couple shared a goodnight kiss. Remy wasn't a fool, as he often reminded people, and he knew that he wouldn't get a kiss, but he didn't want her to feel bad about it, so he gave her - as usual - his best charming smile. 

                "Remy enjoyed dis, p'tite... Yo' t'ink yo' can spare him maybe a nice hug befo'e he gotta go back ta his place?"

                Alright, so he'd walked her back to her room - nothing too odd about that, he was being gentlemanly after all. But Rogue became genuinely confused at his awkward pause at her door, as if he was waiting for something. You were only supposed to exchange goodnight kisses if you had been on a date, and even then, only with people who could kiss. 

                Her hand lingered on the doorknob, giving him a strange look at his request. She'd been expecting one of his usual kisses to her hand, but a hug? It wasn't such an odd request, an even less flirtatious gesture than she'd expected. But that was good right? For a moment Rogue reproached herself - Remy was her friend, would she deny him a simple hug? A small, friendly smile quickly replaced her questioning look as she leaned in to hug him.

                He smiled and hugged her close. When he let her go he whispered, "I's times like dese, p'tite, dat Remy glad he leave de bayou..." 

                With that he turned and headed back toward his room. He thought that he could chalk up tonight in the victory column, though it was a pretty sad to consider a fight with a bunch of mutant haters a victory in romance. Still, he would take what he could get...

                Rogue smiled at him idly and watched him go, more than a little confused. One part of her was warmed at his affection, yet another part, a darker part reminded her that it could only mean so much. His mention of the bayou reminded her yet again that he had some lover down in New Orleans even now. Didn't he miss her? With more questions than answers, Rogue quietly opened the door to her room, shutting it softly behind her.


	26. Chapter 24: Not So Friendly Sparring

                 Chapter 24: Friendly Sparring

                Logan smiled as he watched Remy and Rogue spar in the Danger Room. He'd taught both of them some rudimentary martial arts and he thought they'd like to go up against someone other than him for a change. They both seemed rather in control as he'd taught them to be and was pleased overall. 

                "All right, kids, sensei is gonna go have a smoke since Hank doesn't like how it affects the equipment... Continue sparring, I trust you'll be fine." Exit Logan, cigar all ready in hand as he went. 

                Remy smiled at Rogue as he stretched a bit before they started off on their next round. 

                "Yo' sho' look nice in de light of dis dojo, chere, even if it is jus' a picture." He chuckled. "Dough, Remy t'ink he got yo' beat in dis. He got dat acrobat advantage on yo'." He grinned at that. "Don' take it too hahd, chere. Remy jus' good like dat." He winked as he got back into a fighting stance and put his mouthpiece back in.

                Rogue reached her hands straight up, curving her back to stretch her chest and stomach. The black, nondescript bodysuit she wore was form fitting, made from a stretchable spandex-like material that allowed freedom of movement. Her hands were wrapped with tape beneath her leather gloves. 

                Turning once again to face Remy, she raised her hands behind her head to tighten her ponytail, her hair barely long enough to tie back. She grinned as she got into left guard position, speaking before putting her mouth guard back in.

                "If ya think ya have such a great advantage, then ya won't mind if Ah use some of the dirty fightin' we use down in the Mississippi bayou. Ya don't mess with that." Mostly for show, she brought her arms up in two arcs, moving into some phoenix-esque fighting stance she'd seen in a movie once. "Ready?"

                Remy snorted and nodded. He took the offensive and moved forward with a few punches which Rogue dodged easily, though she quickly found she was running out of mat. Remy jumped back as she went for a roundhouse kick which opened up the floor some. Remy didn't approach for a bit but watched her before he feinted another punch and dropped down for a quick sweep.

                Rogue had ducked to her side to avoid the feinted punch before seeing his sweep. She followed through with the leaning motion, cart wheeling on one hand over his leg. Her body moved back up, around, and used her motion to propel a kick to Remy's chest just as he stood back up. He stumbled back but kept his balance. 

                Rogue's mind, which always found its chance to wander, noted that fighting in this simulated dojo setting made her feel like Neo in the Matrix. Or, er, Trinity, if she'd at least been in the scene. Remy made a much better fighting partner than Keanu Reeves. Why, she asked herself? Best not think about it.

                Rogue took a step back as Remy righted himself, then struck. She exchanged with him a few tactical punches, not meaning to hit him just yet, but forceful enough as not to allow a counter attack. Then she struck. She built up her rate of attack to ensure he'd be too preoccupied blocking before she grabbed one of his wrists, spinning around his side to position herself behind him and out of reach of his free hand, arm twisted behind his back.

                "Had enough, Cajun?"

                Remy gasped and spat out the mouthpiece. 

                "Oh, chere, yo' so sexy when yo' actin' fiesty." He grabbed Rogue's wrist with the arm she held and whipped around. Remy quickly pulled her arm over her shoulder and did a simple toss. Of course he caught her under her arms before she hit the mat and slid her into a full nelson. "How bout a little wrasslin' thrown in dere, chere? Didn' see dat comin', hm?"

                Rogue barely had time to register the comment before she felt herself being whirled around, suddenly pinned. She struggled for a moment, but he was too strong. 

                "Don't sass me, swamp rat!" 

                With a determined grunt, Rogue leaned back and stomped on the instep of Remy's right foot, hitting a nerve point that jolted him just long enough of her to slip out of his grip. Moving quickly, she used his stunned moment to whirl around to his side, facing behind him as she hooked her leg around the back of his knees. Shoving her shoulder roughly into his chest, she pushed him over her leg onto his back.

                Remy chuckled as he got up. "We call dat a point, hm? Remy still one ahead, dough... But he gotta say, yo' sho' is a fiahcrackah." 

                He grinned and reached around her quickly, and pinched her on the backside before he jumped back and got back into his stance and waggled his brows at her, all ready set to go again.

                Remy had barely resumed his stance before Rogue lunged at him, teeth bared. Her attacks became short, quick, and rapid, and she began to display the same type of angry prowess that she'd shown in her fight against the droid of herself, when things really got interesting. 

                She brought her foot up, aiming intentionally for the inside of his palm - a dirty fighting technique that rendered the target unable to hold a fist for a time, striking a nerve. That side of his body temporarily less adequately defended, she reach around for a lightning fast heel strike that she turned, at the last second, into a hard slap in the face. Her eyes flashed with anger.

                "Keep ya hands off me!"

                Remy stumbled back and appeared quite shocked, the hand print still red on his face. He reached up and rubbed it a bit as he looked at her, quite surprised at her ferocity. 

                "Remy didn' mean nuttin' by it, chere." He chuckled and his look of surprised became his good old cocky grin. "Dough, Remy t'ink it was worth da slap."

                Rogue resisted the urge to simply walk forward and kick him in the groin. Since when did his usual lame flirting evolve into sexual harassment? Okay, maybe labeling it 'sexual harassment' was jumping ahead too much, but that didn't make it any less offensive. Rogue tried to clear her head as she moved into a defensive stance, glaring daggers at him. It was like Logan said; concentration was the key to victory. And she was determined now more than ever to beat Remy into the floor.

                "Just watch where ya puttin' ya hands, swamp rat."

                A muscle flinched in her jaw as she held her position before she ran forward a few paces, jumping to aim a thrusting tiger kick to the face. What was that Logan said about keeping your cool?

                Remy wasn't quite ready for something like that. He moved to block but all that did was make the kick land on the back fo his shoulder, which sent him straight to his face. He grunted with the impact and laid there for a moment before he picked himself up with a sigh. 

                "Well, chere, looks like yo' won dat... Remy t'ink he'll step down at dat..." He stepped over to grab a towel. He took one for her also and tossed it over to her. "Remy really didn' mean nuttin' by it... why yo' gettin' all bent outta shape?" He arched a brow and leaned against a wooden support beam as he awaited her answer.

                Rogue wasn't quite ready in her present state to stop fighting, catching the towel in a fisted grip and clenching it at her side. Her back was rigid, and the adrenaline running through her veins made her body want to lash out at something. Her tone of voice was offended and indignant.

                "Why shouldn't Ah? Ya got no business layin' ya hands on me."

                But why *had* she angered so easily? She decided it was fresh of him, and they most certainly weren't close enough for it to be playful. She wondered bitterly if now that he'd once had his way with her body while Carol was inviting, he felt he was now more than welcome to touch her however inappropriately he pleased.

                "Remy say he sorry, he didn' mean nuttin' by it... He didn' t'ink yo' be dis mad 'bout it. Ain' like he grabbin' yo' or nuttin." He shrugged and smiled at her. "Besides, ain' like Remy got a girlfriend dat gonna jump all ovah yo' if yo' enjoy it." He grinned with that one and winked at her, the towel draped around his neck once he wiped the sweat from his brow.

                Rogue scoffed, looking at him in complete and open disgust.

                "What'd ya mean? Ah'm sure your 'sweetheart' in Nawlin's wouldn't 'preciate ya fondlin' some other girl. Ya should be ashamed."  Her accent always came in thicker when she was angry.

                The grins he kept giving her were setting her off more than anything else. It was like he was proud of being a two-timer. And besides, she'd thought she and Remy were good friends, but was this what it came down to? Was she just some plaything to entertain himself with while his girlfriend was out of reach? And what kind of sick bastard would toy with someone who couldn't touch?

                Remy noticeably flinched at the mention of Belladonna and his face fell. He quickly turned away from her, though, and shrugged. 

                "I's been ovah wit' her since Remy leave..." He sighed. "He can' really do nuttin' 'bout it, chere... He jus try an move on." He looked back at her with a little smile. "He sho' she do de same t'ing, so Remy's heaht ain' broken none... I's de right t'ing ta do, right, chere?"

                Rogue stood rigid, still quivering with unvented rage. His explanation should have dissipated it. If he wasn't involved with this woman, shouldn't it make her feel better? It was quite the opposite. Her voice was still accusing.

                "Ah could see her in ya thoughts, she's real pretty. Ya must miss her anyway. Why not bring her here instead?"

                Why couldn't he just admit it? Part of her wondered why she was purposely tormenting herself.

                Remy sat down on the wooden floor and put his head in his hands. He was silent for a couple of minutes as he thought it over, then he finally spoke. 

                "Can yo' keep a secret, chere?" He glanced back at her and patted the floor next to him. "A real secret, somet'in yo' can't tell no one else, evah... If yo' can do dat, den Remy tell yo' why, he sweah, but he need yo' ta sweah first, dat yo' keep his secret... I's up ta yo', chere..."

                Rogue watched him intensely for a moment, her rage failing as he constantly denied her a target. But it would be to her embarrassment now to be pacified - she was clearly in the wrong for being so accusatory about him and Belladonna.

                With a shaky sigh and a bow of her head, Rogue scolded herself for what seemed like the hundredth time since her week with Remy. Just when things were going well between them, she'd found some reason to be suspicious of him and his intentions. It was all her fault.

                She conceded, taking a few steps towards him but not sitting down, keeping her distance from his personal space. Even now, when she was as angry as ever, he still felt close enough to confide in her, which only added to her guilt.

                "Ah swear."

                Remy couldn't bear to look at her, but kept his gaze fixed on the floor. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before he was able to let out his big secret, it wasn't something to be done lightly. 

                "Belladonna... she mo' den jus' Remy's girl... She was supposed ta marry Remy, but de day of de weddin', her brothah challenge Remy..." He shrugged and sniffed slightly. "Yo' can't turn down a challenge ta a duel, chere, jus' can't, 'specially from a rival Guild... So Remy duel him... An'... Remy kill him..." 

                A few more sniffs and Remy closed his eyes, his face hidden in his hands. 

                "Dat's when Remy ran... He can't nevah go back... He say his goodbyes ta Belladonna... An' he know he nevah see her again..." 

                He let out a deep sigh at getting that secret off his chest, though he still seemed slightly shaken, and there were even a few wet spatters on the floor from the tears he just couldn't hold back.

                It wasn't long before Rogue's rage was dispersed, and just as soon replaced with sympathy and an even deeper level of blame. She felt absolutely, completely, utterly horrible. That, combined with Remy's story, wrenched her heart nearly to tears. He was an exile. Even she could return to Mississippi, despite the hostility that may await her there, but no doubt Remy would be risking his life. And now she had the gall to attack him? Why did she have to go and drudge these memories back up for him?

                Head bowed under the weight of her shame, she closed the distance between them and knelt at his side. She couldn't bring herself to touch him, but willed her hand to run comfortingly across his back. It was the least she could do having been so awful.

                "Ah'm sorry.. Ah didn't mean ta-" To what? Attack him so viciously, both physically and verbally? Accuse him of being a two-timing lech? Make him relive so many painful memories? D, all of the above.

                He chuckled and shrugged it off just like anything else, tears wiped away with his towel before he stood. 

                "Don' worry 'bout it, chere... Yo' jus keep dat ta yo'self..." He leaned against the wooden beam again and looked up. Then a smile came across his face and he looked at her. "Dere's somet'in yo' could do ta make it up ta ol' Remy if yo' really wan' ta..."

                Rogue watched him a bit before standing, forcing herself to meet his gaze. How could he be so light about it? Why couldn't he just be angry with her? It was what she deserved, and what she wanted for the moment.

                Rogue tentative look faulted a bit at his suggestion.. What could he be thinking to ask her for when, in her guilty vulnerable state, was sure to accept? Well, if it was something appropriate, it was more than her duty to please him by accepting. On the other hand, if it was not to her liking, she'd accept anyway merely to make up for the punishment Remy obviously wasn't about to deal her.

                "What?"

                "Well, do yo' have any plans fo' lunch tommorah, chere?" Remy's smile grew more confident and his red eyes sparkled. He obviously had a plan that was forming in his mind. He had gotten over his vulnerable state quickly, it seemed... He'd had lots of practice, though.

                Rogue still watched him warily, all too aware of the thoughts that must be going through his head. He sure knew how to trap a girl. She tried to at least maintain a semblance of having a choice, and shrugged a little.

                "Ah was plannin' on eatin'."

                Remy grinned. Oh yes, a full on, full toothed, shining white grin. He even took a few steps closer to her, his hands clasped behind his back. 

                "Well, if yo' gonna be eatin' anyway, would yo' like ta join Remy fo' a li'l picnic? He know a perfect spot a ways back on de campus, isn't a big walk, but dere'd be no Kittys o' othah nosey people dere..." 

                He was using all of his charm, as if he expected her to reject him, though he knew that she probably wouldn't... He just didn't think he should act that confident.

                God damn him. He just had to turn on the charm, full blast. Even if she wasn't extremely guilty, she'd probably have accepted anyway.. The look he wore made her think it would result in a kicked puppy face if she refused. She owed him, and she didn't have the heart to pretend she was accepting only under duress. So instead, a small half smile graced her lips.

                "Ah.. Sure, why not."

                Remy brightened up immensely at that and headed toward the locker rooms, but as he passed her he leaned close and whispered. 

                "Dis gonna be real special, chere, yo' see..." With that he went and hit the showers, just as Logan made his re-entrance. 

                "You two done here, Stripes? Who won?"

                A shiver crept unbidden across Rogue's skin as he whispered to her. Special? That was a loaded word if she'd ever heard one. It would either be exceptionally nice or spectacularly obnoxious. Rogue looked back up at Logan's question. She paused a moment before marching past him, voice slightly embittered.

                "He did."


	27. Chapter 25: First Kiss

                Chapter 25: First Kiss

                Remy came calling around 11:45 the next day. He was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, nothing special, but he also didn't have his gloves on today. He knocked on the door to her room and rubbed his hands together. Everything was set and ready to go. Hopefully she would remember this for a long time, and maybe it would make her forget about Belladonna too. He didn't like to think about her himself, much less think that others were considering his past as well.

                Rogue woke up later than she'd intended to, the mixture of guilt and nerves affording her a restless sleep. Kitty, who had been up much earlier, made it a point to bring her up a cop of coffee, black just as Rogue liked it. If it wasn't for that dose of caffeine, she might not have made it out of bed. 

                When she answered the door she seemed a little tired, but it was nothing a walk in the fresh air couldn't fix. Her previous outing with Remy had been rather controversial when it came to the matter of what to wear, and she feared the fact that she'd changed convinced Kitty it was a full fledged date. This time, half out of protest against Kitty, she wore a plain v-neck tee shirt and black jeans, complete with black arm gloves and a skinny scarf. Not that Kitty knew about this particular outing, but she wouldn't be caught with proof. She managed a smile.

                "Mornin'."

                Remy smiled back. "Mornin' chere, i's lunchtime... Everyt'in's all set, so yo' jus come along... Remy sho' yo' enjoy dis. An' don' worry none 'bout wha's gonna happen, i's a surprise so he ain' gonna tell yo'." He held his arm out toward her and nodded. "Yo' ready, chere?"

                Rogue gave him a confused smile. What had he planned? Moreover, why had he felt the need to 'plan' anything 'special'? If anything, she should be the one doing something special for him. At the very least she could have a good time, that seemed to please him the most when they were together. She hooked his arm in his, trying to be more comradely than anything.. but trying not to be deliberate about it. Far be it from her to spoil is fun if he felt like being chivalrous.

                "Lead the way."

                And lead he did. Remy took her out behind the mansion and across the sprawling lawn. After a nice walk - not just the walk, but the day itself was very nice - he led her around some bushes... And there it was. A nice big blanket was spread out on the grass and a typical wicker picnic basket sat at one corner. 

                Remy led her over to the blanket and he felt the feeling he'd expected, the explosive energy draining from his body. Perfect. With a grin he stepped in front of her and looked her up and down. 

                "Yo' seem a li'l ovah dressed, chere, let Remy help yo'..." With that he took one of her gloves and quickly pulled it off, followed by the other before he gave her time to say anything. He dropped the gloves on the blanket and took her hands in his, bringing each to his lips in turn. "Remy say dis be special..."

                "Wait, what are y-"

                Rogue gasped and flinched, not having time to question him before she braced himself for that unnatural non-feeling sensation.. but it never came. She could feel his hands, the softness of her lips against her skin. Despite herself, Rogue snatched away her hands, glancing between them and him in shock.

                "What.. what's goin' on? What-" There simply wasn't a way to phrase all the questions that were suddenly racing through her mind. Maybe she'd fallen back asleep after all - she never did remember drinking more than half of the coffee. This had to be a dream.

                Remy chuckled and gave a quick whistle. A little green head popped up from behind some of the bushes, followed by a pink one. Both of the boys waved before they quickly disappeared again. 

                "Leech say he help Remy, an Artie come along ta help Leech pass de time... Dey good kids. Come on, chere, sit down." He went over to the basket and opened it, producing plates and glasses which he set out, which were soon filled with sandwiches and ice tea. "Jus' relax an' enjoy yo'self, chere... Yo' don' have ta worry bout nuttin."

                Rogue's gaze fell on the two boys before they disappeared again, and it continued to drift wildly across the scene around her. Struggling with her racing mind, she pressed her fists against her forehead, trying to organize her thoughts, but trying most of all to wake up. 

                This was a dream come true, but couldn't help reject it. It was too perfect, too convenient, and something she'd long convinced herself was an impossibility. She'd set her life up so well around not touching that she was no longer equipped to handle normality.

                "Wait, wait..."

                Her breath was at the same rate, but was very pronounced. She couldn't think, and willed nothing more for than the world to stop.

                Remy blinked and frowned. He sighed and pulled her hands down from her forehead. 

                "Yo' ok chere? Jus' sit down, don' worry..." He eased her down and sat next to her with a smile. "Remy say dis is special... He t'ought yo' would like dis..." He blinked and wondered if he'd done something wrong. "Jus' relax, chere... Don' worry 'bout nuttin... Remy take care of yo', hm?"

                Rogue exhaled the breath she'd been holding, looking down at her hands that he held in his. The sensation was familiar but almost foreign to her now. Many times before she'd berated herself for not paying more attention before she'd developed her powers, to the feel of another's touch - touching one's own skin wasn't the same. But how could she have known then, and how could she refuse not to savor it now? 

                With a sigh that was almost mournful, she turned one of his hands over in hers, running her fingers over the rough smoothness of his palm. She tried not to sound so upset.

                "Why are ya doin' this?.."

                Remy looked quite confused at that. Maybe he had done something wrong after all. 

                "Remy jus' t'ought dat yo'd like ta not have ta worry, even fo' jus a li'l while... Yo' an' him have a nice lunch, an' yo' wouldn' have ta worry 'bout gloves o' nuttin... Yo' could jus' relax..." He watched as she felt his hand then looked back to her. "Don' yo' like it, chere?"

                Rogue shook her head, blinking back tears. No, she couldn't cry now, not now. She wasn't sad, but she didn't feel exactly happy either. She was too numb to feel either of those things, too taken aback. But Remy had done this for her, something impossible, a dream. Her heart tried to refocus her thoughts more on how he felt at her reaction, but.. No, she needed to get a grip.

                "No, Ah didn't mean.. Ah just need ta sit down." Except she noticed then that she was already sitting down.. with a confused sight, she ran a hand through her hair, concentrating like Logan had taught her to.

                "Ah'm sorry.. It's... It's wonderful." But she couldn't bring herself to smile, not quite yet.

                Remy sighed again, but smiled. He should have expected this, really. Shock was fairly easy to recognize... Though this wasn't quite shock, just extreme surprise. If he just gave her some time to get used to it he was sure she'd start to feel better, relax more. 

                "How 'bout we jus' eat, chere, don' t'ink 'bout it. Jus fo'get 'bout all de othah t'ings an' people. I's jus yo' and Remy heah." He picked up the plate with her sandwich and set it in front of her, then grabbed the tea and handed it to her. "Heah... Logan say dat tea help yo' calm down."

                She took the glass, trying to smile. Come on, Rogue, time to get it together. The shaking in her hands stopped not after long, and she'd even managed to take a few bites of her sandwich, though she couldn't taste it. Maybe if she didn't think about it, it would sink in better subconsciously... Taking another long sip of her tea, Rogue glanced sideways at Remy before setting her glass down, hands in her lap. 

                "So... When was it ya first got ya powers?"

                Remy blinked, halfway through a bite of his sandwich. He finished chewing and swallowed, then shrugged. 

                "Remy don' remembah exactly... He jus' figure out one day dat he could blow stuff up, an' he show his Pa... So Pa staht helpin' him wit' tahget practice an' stuff... How 'bout yo', chere?" He was about to take a sip of tea when he rethought his question. "Yo' don' have ta say if yo' don' wan' ta, Remy undahstand..." 

                Smooth. He shrugged and took a sip of his tea, trying not to pressure her. If he'd discovered that he had the power to suck the life out of someone, he didn't think he'd like to talk about the time he figured it out either.

                Rogue shrugged, rubbing her hands together lightly. She'd considered not telling him, but it really made no difference. Didn't talking about it make it feel better, or something like that? He had told her so much already, and that was when she was being awful to him. It felt right to share this with him now, especially after he'd done this for her. 

                "Ah was around twelve.. Ah was with my friend David, my best friend really.. We'd decided we 'liked' each other and were gonna get married, ya know, kid stuff.. We were playin' down by the river near my house, and he.. kissed me. Ah couldn't even feel it at first, but somethin' just felt wrong. Ah could see all these memories that weren't mine, couldn't think straight." She looked down into her lap, not showing much emotion. "He was in a coma for three weeks.. my first kiss." And her last, she'd figured, back when touching was an impossibility.

                Remy frowned. Yea, it wasn't good. He put a comforting arm around her shoulders then leaned in and whispered to her. 

                "P'tite... Would yo' like a real first kiss?" 

                Just the chance he'd been waiting for. The last time he'd actually kissed her it had been just to give her some memories of his, and the other... it had been Carol. She deserved at least one real kiss after all she'd been through.

                Rogue barely changed her demeanor at the question, the only hint that she'd heard at all being that the wringing motion of her hands stopped. She continued to gaze expressionlessly into her lap. It didn't seem right. She cared for Remy, she did, but what if she accepted? Would he take it as something more? What if this was her last chance? 

                "Remy, Ah.. " She'd shared her first attempted kiss with her best friend, and now.. who better than Remy? Scott? The ridiculous thought actually caused her to burst out into laughter.

                Remy blinked and pulled away, actually blushing. 

                "Remy may not be de greatest guy in de world, but he really like yo' chere, an' he jus' tryin' ta be nice... No need ta laugh..." 

                He sighed and took another sip of his tea, eyes down. If there was one way he really didn't want to be rejected - not that he wanted to be rejected - it was to be laughed at.

                Rogue covered her mouth, trying to suppress the remaining laughter.

                "No, Ah'm sorry.. that's not what Ah was laughin' at." She managed to stop, but couldn't keep the smile from her face. Maybe that small amount of amusement had managed to break the shell of ice she'd placed around herself. But back to the matter at hand.. She looked shyly at him, smiling slowly fading as the uncertainty crept back into her voice.

                "It's sweet of ya ta offer.. Ah just can't ask ya ta do somethin' like that. Ya don't need ta cause ya feel sorry for me."

                Remy smiled and shook his head. 

                "Remy been wantin' ta kiss yo' fo' awhile, p'tite..." He reached up and ran a finger over her lips. "He can't be blamed... Yo' lips jus' look so invitin'..." He slid his fingers back over her cheek and held it in his palm. "Dey ain' de only paht of yo' dat looks good, eithah, chere. Yo' beautiful." From the look in his eyes it was clear he was being quite honest.

                By then her smile had faded completely, replaced by an almost troubled look. No, she'd returned to her former opinion. This was most definitely a dream. But as she gazed back into his eyes, the striking red on black gleam assured her it was most definitely real. It was too perfect. Too perfect. She couldn't move, her breath became shallow, and her heart pounded in her chest, a mixture of fear, excitement, and the expectation that she'd wake up all too soon.

                Remy took his opportunity and leaned in; his head tilted slightly to the side, and softly pressed his lips to hers. His hand moved from her cheek to the back of her head, and down to her neck. He pulled her closer just before he broke the kiss, not wanting to overwhelm her. He couldn't help the small smile on his lips as he looked at her. 

                "Was it... all yo'd hoped fo', ma petite fleur de cerise?"

                Rogue closed her eyes, tuning out everything but the sensation of being kissed. His lips were soft and surprisingly warm. And too soon it was over. Her eyes remained closed, clinging to the memory as if it'd slip away if she wasn't careful. Her voice was just barely above a whisper.

                "No.. it was better." She'd said it very seriously. It was better, as she hadn't hoped for anything at all.

                He just couldn't help himself. Remy's other arm slid across her back around her waist, and he leaned in to kiss her again. He held her closer this time, and even leaned her back a bit as he poured all of his passion into the act. The first had been for her, but this was for him, he didn't know if he'd ever get the chance again, after all.

                The second kiss gave Rogue pause - it was indeed a second kiss. That didn't count towards the first. And it was far more real, the kind of kiss she'd fantasized about. Yet it was a second, more than they'd more or less agreed to. Oh, who cares? Her hands slid up his neck and face, running through his hair. She returned the kiss a bit clumsily at first, but soon a rhythm took over for her.

                Remy continued to kiss her until he suddenly pulled back, though not much, just enough to speak. His breath came in quick pants and his eyes were only half open, he obviously had been quite into it. His voice was slightly hoarse and quiet as he asked her, 

                "P'tite... are yo'... s-sho' yo' ok wit' dis...?"

                Rogue opened her eyes suddenly as he stopped. Was this where the dream ended? She froze, and when nothing happened, took several deep breaths. She barely heard Remy's question, but didn't lend much thought to it. There was a small amount of doubt, but what did that matter? If she felt uncomfortable she wouldn't have continued. She leaned in to kiss him gently before pulling back again, her eyes held a pleading look.

                "What if this is my last chance?"

                Remy smiled and nodded. He laid her completely back on the blanket and stretched his legs out as well. Rather than going straight back Remy kissed her cheek and down to her ear so he could whisper to her. 

                "Remy make dis somet'in fo' yo' ta remembah..." T

                hen he kissed her again, his passion burning like an inferno.

                Rogue lay back with a sigh, keeping her hands around his neck. Some part of her suddenly became fearful as to how far this was going.. It was well beyond an innocent first kiss. But there was no turning back now. It may very well be the last chance she'd ever have to touch another person, to be touched. She trusted him. She closed her eyes again, trying to keep everything but the sensations out of her mind.

                For quite some time Remy lost himself in her lips, her warmth. He'd waited for this and the moment was perfect. He knew that it couldn't last forever, though... they'd have to eventually get back to the mansion or someone might come looking for them. Logan might come looking for them. That convinced him. He didn't really want to but he pulled back with a sigh. 

                "Remy don' wan' ta stop, p'tite, but if someone comes lookin' fo' us... I's prob'ly best ta cool down while we can, hm?" He sat back up and smiled at her, running a hand through his hair. "Besides... Ain' like dis has ta be de last time... Right?" 

                He was hopeful, as if he didn't all ready expect her to say yes. Of course, it could simply have been the sensation that had kept her from stopping him, he just hoped it was more than that.

                Rogue sat up hesitantly, now having been called back to reality. There was no mistaking it, she'd just had a full blown make out session with Remy. Something about it felt odd to her. Remy was her close friend, and it seemed cold for her to suddenly think of him as a friend with 'benefits', though in all honesty the benefits weren't all that big. What if the entire thing was just a giant gesture of pity? Even worse, what if she'd just used him for the sake of touching? She didn't know the answer herself. 

                Absent mindedly Rogue glanced at her watch. Quite some time had passed since they'd arrived, and the thought made her blush. She looked up suddenly - Remy was saying something.

                "What? Oh.. Yeah." There was no real enthusiasm in her tone, but may have been a reason for that. Her shock now was slightly worse at finding she was able to touch at all. She sighed half heartedly, reaching over to take his hand in hers as if it were a lifeline, running her thumb across the back of his palm.

                Remy smiled and watched her silently for a moment. 

                "Chere, Remy don' care if dis is de last time we do dis... He still wan' yo' ta be his girl... Yo' special, p'tite..." 

                What was he saying? What was wrong with him? Since when was he the one who made the propositions? At least the ones that weren't completely physical. Well, he thought, he couldn't exactly expect her to do it...

                Rogue's movement came to a stop at his question, as if what they'd just been doing had absolutely no correlation with what he was asking her now. She looked at him, expression a mix of disbelief and sadness.

                "Remy.. You're my friend, and Ah care about ya.." She couldn't bring herself to say 'but'. "Ya may feel that way now, but ya don't know what it's like. Ah can't expect ya ta wait around for me ta get control over my powers, if Ah ever do. Ya shouldn't have ta."

                Remy shook his head emphatically. 

                "Remy know how he feel, an' he feel dat way befo' know... Why else would Remy trust yo' so much, and bring yo' out heah? An' he don' care if he has ta wait, he have a good memory, he jus' remembah dis day..." 

                He was completely sincere in all of this; there was even the slightest panic in his voice that she would still reject him.

                His words very nearly broke her heart, and she could feel the tears burning in back of her eyes. This wasn't supposed to happen. Everything she'd strove for the past years was designed specifically to avoid this very situation. How had it happened? Her insides were tearing apart, and her face turned down. A few dark spots appeared on the blanket below.

                "Why? Why would ya want somethin' ya couldn't touch?"

                He frowned at the sight and shook his head. He reached his hand up under her chin and turned it up and toward him so he could look her in the eye. 

                "Because dat don' mattah, p'tite, Remy like yo' fo' who yo' is... If dat means only touchin yo' t'rough yo' clothes, den fine... Remy can deal wit' dat jus' fine..." Then he even smiled a bit. "Besides, mon amie, even if he could touch yo', he don' t'ink yo'd let him in public... Yo' have dat goth reuptation ta uphold aftah all."

                She gave a short laugh, though it held little mirth. If she could touch, she probably wouldn't be a goth. That was a defense mechanism unto itself. Even so.. Remy may have been willing to live without touching her, but she doubted her own ability to live without touching him.

                "Ya might not care about touchin', but Ah don't know if Ah'd be able to." 

                If it was difficult for her now, imagine what it would be like if she couldn't touch someone she loved.

                Remy shook his head. 

                "Yo' could do it, chere, yo' strong. Remy can see dat in yo'..." That wouldn't be enough, though... He sighed and leaned forward, his forehead pressed against hers, his eyes locked on her own. "Please, p'tite, don' throw dis away... Yo have a chance, jus like yo chance ta kiss me... Yo' have a chance fo so much more, chere. Touch doesn' mattah, i's da feelin on de inside."

                Rogue closed her eyes. It hurt so much. The thought of turning him down was painful, for the both of them. But if she accepted, they ran the risk of merely finding a new way to hurt. Her expression was pained as she looked into his eyes. Since when had he become so wonderful? 

                Between the choices she faced she was doomed either way, but at least one wouldn't be as lonely. One hand reached up to caress his cheek, and she didn't say a word. She leaned in to kiss him slowly, carefully, as if it was their last kiss. For it may very well have been.


	28. Chapter 26: Conseil Paternel

                Chapter 26: Conseil Paternel

                Summer finally ended, much to the dismay of all the students. Remy returned with them to the school even though he technically should have graduated by now. He still had a ways to go before a diploma, because of the years without school. 

                Rogue and Remy kept their relationship a secret, and acted like close friends so that no one would get suspicious. That didn't stop Kitty, though, but she'd yet to prove anything. Remy resumed tutoring her and in exchange Rogue still gave him help in math - he was actually up to geometry now  - and things settled back into the normal school groove of gossip, teasing, plotting, and the soap opera drama that was high school friendship and romance.

                One evening after dinner, the students milled about the mansion doing their various class assignments for their first week of school. In the living room Kitty, Rogue and Remy had set up their usual study session. Kitty and Remy were busy with French - Kitty had been assigned a huge project involving herself; what her favorite things were, her family, her hobbies. Rogue sat off to the side brainstorming for an English paper, glancing up every now and then to smirk at Kitty's desperate attempts to translate her interests into French.

                Remy sighed and shook his head. 

                "Non, non chere. Yo' have ta follow de grammar, den de whole t'ing flow real nice. Like dis..." He cleared his throat and switched over to French. "Mon passe-temps préféré sera obligé à flirter avec l'Escroc. Bien que ma famille est postérieure dans la Nouvelle-Orléans, elle les aides gardent mon esprit ici. Elle est si douce." 

                Kitty blinked and looked quite confused. "Like, what did you say?"

                 Remy chuckled and patted her on the head quickly. "Don' worry 'bout wha' Remy say, chere, i's de form dat mattahs." He was glad she didn't understand, and had hoped she wouldn't. The translation, you wonder? 'My favorite hobby is to flirt with Rogue. Though my family is back in New Orleans, she helps keep my mind here. She is so sweet.'

                Rogue smiled to herself, but kept her eyes on her paper. She continued writing silently while Kitty worked with Remy on the project. She'd managed to cover her hobbies and family, decorating the final drafts with colored pencils and gel pens while she talked with Remy in practiced French. The clock struck eight, and Kitty decided her French homework was done for the night. With a smile and a 'thank you' to Remy, she left and disappeared into the kitchen for a snack.

                Rogue looked up to watch Kitty's retreating form before smirking at Remy.

                "Quel était celui au sujet de flirter avec l'Escroc ? Je sais que vous ne m'avez pas simplement appelé doux."

                Her French was tinged with some form of a southern dialect. Not exactly perfect, but flowing nonetheless. Roughly it translated into, 'What was that about flirting with the Rogue? I know you didn't just call me sweet.' Sweet? Not if she had anything to say about it.

                Remy looked at her, surprised at first, then gave a big grin and nodded. "Oh oui, très doux." Which, of course, meant 'Oh yes, very sweet.' He chuckled and leaned back a bit. 

                "Yo' nevah tell Remy yo' talk French... Guess he learn somet'in new every day, hm? Et oui, j'apprécie flirter avec vous beaucoup." Or, 'And yes, I enjoy flirting with you very much.'

                She smirked again and closed her notebook, pulling out her math book instead. 

                "It's just a dialect they had where Ah lived. We had our share of French in the Mississippi bayou, too. Et observez votre bouche, jeune homme grossier." 'And watch your mouth, fresh young man.' 

                She glanced up around the living room, switching back to English. Being able to speak French wasn't something she wanted to advertise, for some reason. She couldn't stomach tutoring Kitty one on one.

                "Let's focus, huh?"

                Remy sighed and rolled his eyes. 

                "If yo' say so, p'tite... Remy still don' like math dat much. He nevah gonna use mo' dan subtraction an' addition, anyway." He picked up his own Geometry book and stared at the page hopelessly. It was going to be a long year for Remy.

                Rogue chuckled standing up to sit down next to him, the side of her leg brushing against his. It was as close as she dared sit, not only out of concern for his safety, but any closer and she'd be in his lap - not something she really wanted the other students to see.

                Rogue and Remy sat for a little while half heartedly studying geometry, but it mostly involved trading quips and subtle flirting. Logan emerged from the kitchen, stopping as he noticed Stripes and the Cajun sitting awfully close and looking a bit too cozy for his liking. He made a soft, nondescript noise, turning and disappearing into the hallway.

                Finally Remy just closed his book and leant his head back, eyes closed. 

                "All right, p'tite, dat's enough fo' now... Remy can't take no mo', he gonna get a headache." He sighed and tossed his book on the coffee table, where he stared at it in disgust. "He jus' nevah gonna need ta know how ta find points on a plane... Except fo' on dese Geometry tests..."

                                                                               * * *

                Later in the week in the Danger Room, Rogue was sparring with Logan. With all the work they'd been assigned for their first week, it was beyond Rogue as to why Logan insisted on scheduling her for extra training sessions. As if she didn't have enough to do anyway, and it was even less time she had to spend with Remy. She tried not to feel bitter about it, though; Logan only had her best interests in mind, right? 

                Rogue blocked another punch, leaping back a few paces to put some distance between them to catch her breath. His fighting seemed to be extra intense.

                "Gawd, Logan.. Take it easy, will ya?"

                Logan snorted and arched a brow. 

                "Not gettin soft on me, are you, Stripes? Though, with the way you've been warmin' up to the card-carrying Cajun, I wouldn't be surprised." He chuckled as he leaned against the Danger Room wall. "Not that it's any of my business, of course... I just don't want to see you hurt, Stripes... I'll trust that you know what you're doin, but just be careful." He smiled and walked back toward her. "Ready for another?"

                Rogue watched Logan, curiously. He couldn't have known.. He was acting on suspicion, just like Kitty. She got into right guard and opened up her next attack, trying to keep him on the defensive as she spoke.

                "What are ya talkin' about? There's nothin' goin' on between us."

                She punctuated her point with a roundhouse kick to his chest.

                Logan caught her foot in the kick and shook his head. 

                "Don't lie to me, Stripes, I saw you two the other day, and I can smell him on you from here." He shoved upward and dropped Rogue on her back. "I know his kind, I just don't want to have you come crying to me when he breaks your heart, ok? So just watch it." He helped her back to her feet. "And strike faster, especially on a kick, or you leave yourself wide open."

                Rogue fell onto her back with a dull 'thud', concentrating too much on the conversation to soften her landing. She got back to her feet quickly, stance and tone defensive.

                "He wouldn't do that. Ya don't know him at all."

                She ignored his advice, convinced he was just trying to change the subject, and crept forward slowly. She feinted an uppercut before dropping to the floor, aiming a forceful scissor kick to his legs.

                Logan didn't move away, rather let himself get thrown forward. He caught himself with his hands and went straight into a short forward handspring, then whirled quickly, his foot passing less than an inch from her face. 

                "Don't tell me what I don't know. I've been around a lot longer than you have, girl, I know what I'm talkin about. You can ignore me if you want, but don't expect me to show you sympathy when it turns out I'm right, got it?" He stepped back and waited for her next attack.

                Rogue's eyes narrowed imperceptibly, and she moved forward to strike again, anger taking over. There was no hope of her winning an argument against Logan, much less a physical battle, but that didn't stop her from trying. She only hoped he wouldn't open up into Remy about it - she felt bad enough already.

In the middle of her assault, Rogue aimed an elbow at his solar plexus, which would easily knock the wind out of the target with even a light punch.

                Logan's block was too high and the elbow nailed him. He stumbled back with a loud 'oof' and gasped once before his lungs compensated and recovered so he could breath. 

                "All right, Stripes, that's enough for today... Just think about what I said, will you? I'm just lookin' out for you, at least I'm tryin' to. Keep that in mind when you're thinking. Now hit the showers." With that he pulled out a cigar and headed for the exit. He needed a smoke.

                                                                                                               * * *

                It was late evening that day when Rogue sat on the mansion roof, looking out over the grounds and the lights of Bayville center in the distance. There was a door that led out here that Storm used when she directed the weather, whenever the need arose. But the skies tonight were clear, and she hoped she wouldn't get caught by a teacher. 

                She was still fuming slightly over her argument with Logan. He simply didn't know what he was talking about, she decided. He couldn't imagine what they had together, and how keenly she felt the risk they took.

                Suddenly Kitty came through the door out onto the roof. That is to say, she walked through it, rather than opened it and came out. She grinned when she saw Rogue hadn't come down yet and went to sit next to her. 

                "Hi Rogue, it took me forever to find you! Like, what's wrong? Did you have a fight with Remy?" 

                She couldn't contain herself and grinned at that still playing on her suspicions and trying crack Rogue.

                Rogue started at Kitty's sudden appearance. The girl had a knack for surprising her, thanks to her penchant for phasing through walls. The question gave her pause, but she adamantly shook her head.

                "No, nothin' like that. Ah just wanted ta relax a bit. Alone."

                She didn't dare tell her that the fight had been with Logan. That would lead to a lot more questions.

                Kitty giggled. "Aw, come on, Rogue, you should never ben alone when you're sad... or mad... or whatever! It's always good to have friends! And, you know, since I'm, like, your friend, you can trust me." He sighed and tried to look as sad as she could. "Course, if you don't trust me, I guess I understand..." She sniffed to add an extra emphasis to it.

                Rogue grinned a bit. Kitty wasn't exactly an impeccable actress.

                "Ah trust ya Kitty, it's nothin', honest. Ah just felt like comin' up ta think. Real good for brainstormin' for essays, ya know."

                Hopefully changing the subject to schoolwork rather than her own personal life would distract Kitty.

                Kitty sighed and put her head in her hands. 

                "We haven't had anything to talk about in for *ever*, Rogue! We need some new news! But, I mean, if you wanted me to keep it secret... Well, I can keep secrest when I *really* need to, like, you know?" She stuck her bottom lip out and looked down at the lawn.

                Rogue hesitated and sighed inwardly. She didn't feel ready to tell anyone about her and Remy, even Kitty, but she didn't want to hurt her feelings either. 

                "Well, Ah just had an argument with Logan, is all.."

                Telling her about Logan was the least she could do, only hoping it wouldn't lead back to questions about Remy.

                Kitty blinked at that. Logan? Why would she fight with Logan? Definitely not for the same reasons she'd fight with Remy. After all, Logan was, like, old! She seemed a bit surprised and had to pause to gather he thoughts again. 

                "Well, um... why? I mean, did you, like, get in trouble or something?" She gasped. "What did you do!?"

                Rogue jumped at her exclamation, laughing as she held her hands up in defense. At least she didn't make the connection between the fight and Remy.

                "Calm down, Kitty. We just, ah, had a disagreement over trainin'. Ah think he's workin' us too hard considerin' we just started school."

                Keep to the school subject, and all should be fine.

                Kitty nodded emphatically. 

                "Totally! I mean, come on, we deserve a break sometimes, right? Like, get a life, right?" She giggled and shrugged, then blinked. She'd forgotten about Remy! She thought she'd been so close, too... "So, um..." How to get her? "If you aren't interested in Remy... Do you mind if I take a shot at him?" 

                She grinned, perfect! Rogue would totally flip if she was with Remy.

                Rogue blinked, quickly masking her surprise with a quizzical look at her. Alright, so she'd made it a point to keep their relationship a secret, but what if Kitty was serious? Rogue shook her head, forcing herself to be rational. 

                "Ah dunno why ya'd want ta, all he does is flirt with everyone all day. And ya take ya life in ya hands every time ya drive with 'im." 

                Take that, Kitty. Even if she were being serious, Remy wouldn't leave her to be with Kitty, even though he could touch her. But no, he wouldn't. He couldn't.

                Kitty huffed and pouted, looking away from Rogue. Why did she have to be so darn stubborn! Maybe she should try Remy? Maybe she could try and seduce him like in that movie! Which movie? She shook her head, that didn't matter, it would work! He'd have to tell about him and Rogue, or Rogue might do it after that. 

                "Jeez Rogue... if I had a secret boyfriend I'd tell you..."

                Rogue smirked and stood up, brushing off the seat of her pants. It was far too easy hooking Kitty into things like this. She was too big of a gossip diehard.

                "Ah can't wait ta hear about 'im. Just make sure ya don't start secretly datin' Kurt. His mouth's way too big ta keep it a secret."

                Leaving Kitty to her baffled musings, Rogue walked back inside, intent on settling down for the night.


	29. Chapter 27: La Femme NiKitty and the Woe...

                Chapter 27: La Femme NiKitty and the Woes of Captain One-Eye

                Remy walked up to Kitty/Rogue's door and knocked, Geometry and French book under one arm, dressed in jeans, a t-shirt, his boots, and the black leather gloves everyone was getting used to seeing him in. They really did pull his look together. Why had Kitty asked him to come tutor her in the dorm room? Maybe Rogue had something to do with it... But no, she wouldn't be that obvious, he thought.

                Kitty opened the door, wearing something other than her usual school outfits. She was determined the set the stage with a khaki mini skirt which exposed as much leg as possible without being slutty, and a pink strap tank top. Casual enough, but far more revealing than anything Rogue owned. 

                Rogue sat in the back on her bed, books scattered in front of her. She was wearing the usual long pants, long sleeved shirt and gloves. Kitty chirped as she stepped back to her bed, leaving the door open for Remy to enter.

                "Hi Remy! I'm glad you're here. I'm having such trouble with this..."

                Remy chuckled as he stepped in and closed the door behind him. He shot a quick smile toward Rogue and grabbed a chair, then pulled it over to Kitty's bed. He set his books down and rubbed his hands together. 

                "All right, den, chere, wha's de problem, hm?" He leaned forward a bit and waited for her to give him whatever was wrong so he could fix it.

                Kitty sat on her bed, rather closer to Remy than was really necessary. She started showing Remy a paragraph she was working on about the plot of some romantic movie, passing him more than a few coy giggles as he helped her translate the summary. 

                Rogue resisted the urge to watch. She knew Kitty was probably acting on the 'threat' she'd made on the roof the other night, but whether she was sincerely interested in Remy or not, she couldn't tell. Either way, she convinced herself Remy wouldn't be having any of it. He was loyal to her.

                Kitty made it a point to brush the skin of his arm that the tee shirt afforded.

                "Hey Remy, did anyone ever tell you that you, like, have really romantic eyes?"

                Remy arched a brow at that comment. What as wrong with this girl? He thought she had a thing for the blue fuzzy one... 'Dueteronomy forbids games of chance', blah blah, whatever... Weird kid, but he still seemed nice enough. What was all this about, then? And with Rogue right in the room... 

                He chuckled and smiled, not wanting to give away that he was troubled in any way. 

                "Dat's real nice of yo' ta say, chere'. Yo' a cute li'l t'ing yo'self, an' Remy sho' yo' find yo'self a nice boy." He nodded and patted himself on the back, that was a good way to go.

                She giggled, "I think I found one already." She didn't elaborate however. Rogue hadn't even flinched a bit, but Remy didn't reject the compliment either. What was going on? They were just hiding it.. She'd have to press harder.

                "Writing about movies is totally boring.. Hey, I heard they're showing a French movie at the cabaret!" Kitty gave Remy a shy, coy smile. "We should go. It'd be, like, educational."

                Across the room, Rogue paused in her writing, but quickly resumed as she caught herself. So what if he said yes? There was nothing wrong with him hanging out with Kitty, she was his friend too.

                Remy blinked and gulped, then chuckled. 

                "Remy would love ta, chere, but he ain' a big fan of French movies. Maybe dat furry boy would like ta go wit' yo'. Den' yo' woudn't even need a ticket, he could jus' teleport yo' in!" 

                Remy nodded and looked back at the French lesson, hoping that would end the discussion.

                Kitty saw her chance slipping away, and decided that desperate times called for desperate measures. If this didn't a rise out of Rogue, nothing would. Waiting until Remy was looking elsewhere, Kitty leaned in and pecked him on the lips.

                Rogue barely caught the movement out of the corner of her eye, but froze upon seeing what happened. Maybe Kitty was serious after all. And she'd just kissed him - again. Feeling like she'd snap if she didn't get out of there soon, Rogue stood from her bed hastily, grabbing a random piece of paper before stalking towards the door. She mumbled about typing something before shutting the door roughly behind her.

                Kitty looked at the door, trying to figure out if she'd been successful.

                Remy was taken by surprise, and he felt quite guilty when he saw Rogue's reaction. Surely she didn't think he'd not stopped her on purpose? 

                "Whoa, chere, Remy t'hink yo' got de wrong idea..." He leaned back a bit and cleared his throat. "Not dat Remy don' like yo', he jus' like yo' as a friend... He a bit too ol' fo' yo, don' yo' t'ink, chere? He sho' dere are plenty of boys yo' age dat jump at de chance fo a date wit' yo'..."

                Kitty leveled her gaze at him, appearing more curious than offended. He'd have to tell her the reason why he wasn't interested, right?

                "Why, is it because you like someone else? I promise I won't tell anyone, just between you and me.." Still, Kitty wasn't a master of contrivance.

                Remy chuckled and shook his head. 

                "No, chere, he ain' lookin' fo' a relationship jus' know... He ain' in dat kinda place, yo' know? Wha' about yo', Remy sho' he can't be de only boy yo' like... Like dat furry boy Remy mentioned!"

                Kitty just looked at him, searching for any trace of a lie. But Remy was just too good. She sighed a bit, though it wasn't from rejection. Rogue must be upset with her, whether she was going out with Remy secretly or not. 

                "Huh, Kurt? Oh, you know him.. always eating." She tried to steer the subject in another direction. "Well, hey, thanks for helping me with this. I think I'm done with French for now." She closed her books, feeling a little sheepish about what had just transpired.

                Remy smiled and kissed her forehead. 

                "Dat's fine, chere... Remy jus' gonna go find yo' troublesome roommate ta teach him 'bout dat worthless math, he see you latah." 

                He patted her on the head as he grabbed his books and got up, showing himself out and off to find Rogue. He'd have to explain that what had happened had been completely Kitty...

                As Rogue walked down the hallway she looked at the paper that she'd grabbed.. a old math worksheet. Not exactly something she could fake having to type. She sighed, crumpling it in her hands. 

                Did this mean Kitty liked Remy, now? Rogue tried to remind herself she wasn't the jealous type, but the little voice in her head that was the one to doubt Remy - though it had grown smaller by now - make her question how Remy would react. He'd said he wanted to be with Rogue even though he couldn't touch her, but why should he feel the same way when there was a girl whom he could have a normal relationship with? No. Rogue forced the voice into silence, trying to convince herself she had nothing to be jealous about. 

                Remy jogged right up behind her and, seeing that no other students were around, slid an arm around her waist and fell into step with her. With a grin he leaned in to whisper, 

                "Dat li'l girl sho' is persistent... Remy had ta leave befo' she jumped on top of him." He chuckled and glanced back toward Rogue's room. "He don' know wha' came ovah her..."

                Rogue blinked at his comment, keeping her eyes ahead of her. Was Kitty really being that forward with him? She forced a slight laugh.

                "Heh, right.. She's-"

                She really didn't know what to say to fill the silence. Alright, fine, so maybe Remy hadn't gone with it. Rogue scolded herself mentally for ever having doubted him. She always did, and he never deserved it.

                "Ah'm sorry for stormin' out like that."

                Remy shook his head and chuckled again. 

                "Yo' don' have ta apologize, p'tite... Remy flattahed dat yo' would get all mad an' jealous fo' him. He feel so special." 

                He grinned and pulled away from her, just in case she decided to hit him, and partially because they were approaching a corner and you never knew who might be around one.

                Rogue sighed. As usual, he forgave her with no hesitation at all. She opened her mouth to voice her guilt before they neared the corner. In the adjacent hallway a crash resounded.

                "Jean, it's the FIFTH time he's called you this week!"

                "You're so paranoid, Scott, Duncan's just a friend! Don't you trust me?"

                "I don't trust HIM!"

                Rogue cautiously peeked her head around the corner just in time to see Jean slam her bedroom door in Scott's face, who promptly began to bang on it.

                "Get back out there! Oh, FINE! Be that way." 

                Remy blinked and frowned, then whispered to Rogue. 

                "Yo' t'ink Remy should go some othah way?" 

                It sounded like a rather bad fight between their favorite leader and his oh-so-perfect telekinetic girlfriend. She was usually so nice and sympathetic, too... Scott must have done something really bad to get her even close to being mad...

                Rogue ducked back into their hallway as Scott stormed their way. What could Scott have done to upset Susie Psychic? She remembered how he'd been so obviously jealous of Duncan - the star quarterback - all last year. She gave Remy a quick, regretful nod, and pointed down the hallway towards his room.

                "Yeah, ya'd better. Ah'll just sort of.. go this way."

                Remy turned and headed quickly back the way they'd gone. He decided it would probably be best to get out of sight, so ducked into Rogue's room. Kitty blinked as he came back in. "Like, what are you doing now?" Remy grinned and leaned against the door. 

                "Captain One-Eye an' his amie had demselves a li'l tiff... Remy retreat, so he gonna hide heah fo a bit..." 

                Kitty grinned and pushed him out of the way, then leaned her ear against the door to see if she could hear anything. This was far more important gossip than Remy and Rogue dating... at least for now.

                Rogue, waiting a little till Remy had disappeared, walked out into the hallway. Her timing had been a little off, though, and she nearly colliding with Scott. He jumped back, started after being so deep in his argument with Jean.

                "Oh, Rogue."

                She tried to look as if she had no clue about what was going on. "Hi Scott."

                He looked at her uncomfortably. "You must have heard the whole thing."

                So much for playing dumb. She shrugged, looking sympathetic. "Yeah.. Are ya alright?"

                He nodded vaguely and gestured for her to walk with him, wanting to put more distance between him and Jean's room.

                "I'm alright.. It's just that Duncan's been calling her all week, and she keeps rushing off to hang out with him. It's not like she's his servant." He sighed as he realized he was rambling. "Now she thinks I don't trust her and won't talk to me. Do you think I'm out of line?"

                Rogue made no immediate effort to fill the awkward silence that followed. Normally she wouldn't have given a damn, but some part of her that had a crush on him before invoked her sympathy. She didn't want to make him feel worse.

                "Well, Ah think ya have a right ta be at least a little suspicious.. She's showin' an interest in him if she's eager ta hang out with him, right?" What part of that was supposed to make him feel better? Well, it was either that or tell him he was being paranoid, which wasn't very nice either.

                Scott nodded. "Exactly! But, if she wants to throw away everything we have for some quarterback, then fine! I don't need her..." 

                He thought for a moment, back to when he'd talked with Bobby... It must have been over a year ago. Something about Rogue having a crush on him. She was pretty cute, and he was sure she'd jump at a chance with him... To hell with Jean. Scott looked over at her and smiled.

                "I think it's time for me to move on, anyway. She obviously isn't who I thought she was... I need someone like you, Rogue, you're straight forward, I like that." 

                Let Jean get mad, he didn't care, she could throw herself at Duncan for all he cared... He had Rogue here.

                Rogue blinked, but the part of her that once had a crush on Scott piqued. She'd spent a year falling for him, moved on, found someone new, and NOW he decided to show some interest? That didn't make sense.

                "Look, Scott. Ah think ya might be over reactin' a bit. Ah'm sure she won't stay mad forever. Maybe ya should try talkin' about it civilly first."

                Scott snorted. "She can talk with Duncan all she wants if he keeps calling so much, I don't need the hassle." He looked over at her with a smile. "The best thing to do is just put it behind me and get along as soon as I can... Maybe you can help me out, huh? We could go to a movie or something, or out to dinner..." 

                Remy had by now snuck back out into the hall, followed by Kitty, and was being as quiet as he could as he walked far behind them. Kitty had a hand over her mouth to keep in any squeaks as she listened as hard as she could to catch every word.

                Rogue stopped walking and turned to Scott, her amusement at the absurdity of the situation masking itself as a friendly smile.

                "Listen, Ah like ya and everythin', but Ah think maybe ya should take a day to cool down and think before ya go makin' any decisions. By then ya'll know the right thing ta do."

                Rogue smirked inwardly at herself. Since when had she taken to giving out advice?

                Scotted stopped to, then sighed and nodded. 

                "All right, you're probably right, Rogue... But that won't work if I still think it's time to move on tomorrow. Then I won't take no for an answer." He smiled and gave her shoulder a quick squeeze. "Take it easy, all right?" With that he turned and continued on his way away from Jean's room. 

                It took all of Remy's control not to blow his cocky, preppy ass up right then and there. That wouldn't look too good in front of Kitty, though, she'd probably get suspicious, not to mention he might get in trouble.

                "See ya."

                Poor Scott. He must have been really upset if he was so desperate to take her out. Any other day she would have been angry at his arrogance, but still - that little tiny part of her that liked Scott - she knew he was just trying to distract himself. Remy wouldn't like this. Taking a few steps back, Rogue turned around to see who else but Remy and Kitty. She quirked a brow at them.

                "Hello."

                Kitty perked up immediately, whispering excitedly even after Scott had disappeared into his room.

                "Like, oh my god, Rogue! This is so great!"

                Rogue just looked back at her, clearly confused. Kitty rushed forward to seize the girl by the hands.

                "This is, like, what you've totally wanted since last year! Scott wants to take you out!"

                Rogue was about to protest before she remembered her secret. She was ready to deny her thing with Remy, but that didn't mean she had to pretend she still had a crush on Scott, did it? She just looked at Kitty blankly.

                "Ah guess.."

                Remy frowned and snorted. 

                "Yea, chere, jus' wha' yo' been waitin fo', de big date wit' Scott Summahs. Amazin'." Sarcasm dripped heavily from his words and he shoved his hands in his pockets. Kitty blinked and looked back at him, then looked at Rogue curiously. 

                "You are, like, gonna go, right?"

                Rogue hesitated, stealing a glance at Remy and his obvious displeasure. He must be furious with her. If she told Kitty she didn't want to go out with Scott, coupled with Remy's sarcasm, it would make her suspicious of the two of them - they were as good as exposed to the biggest gossip in the school. It wasn't that she didn't trust Kitty, but sometimes the girl was her own worst enemy when it came to her mouth. But if she went out with Scott, Remy might never speak to her again. Turning her choices over in her mind for a few moments, Rogue made a decision.

                "Sure, Ah mean.. why not?"

                Kitty jumped up and down, though it still seemed a little odd to her. "This is so great! I can't wait to do your makeup!" 

                Rogue ignored even her last comment to look past her at Remy, her eyes pleading. Please, please don't let him be angry.

                All it took was one look into her eyes and Remy melted. He sighed and gave her a smile, then a quick nod. He understood that she just had to play along, and wouldn't hold it against her. Besides, she was with him; he didn't have any reason to worry. He walked up to them and cleared his throat. 

                "Remy still have his Geometry lesson comin', non? All dis drama didn' change dat, right?"

                Rogue shook her head, trying to clear her head of all that had happened. 

                "Yeah, we still need ta do our homework. Come on guys."

                Rogue walked past Kitty and Remy back towards her room, but Kitty had other ideas. The girl hung back as she watched them go.

                "Actually, I think I'm gonna go find Rahne, her room's right next to Jean's. She must have heard, like, everything!" And so she vanished in pursuit of gossip.

                Rogue didn't speak until she and Remy got back to her room. She shut the door behind them, leaning against it with a weighted sigh.

                "Just so ya know, Ah have no intention of goin' anywhere with him. Ah just wanted ta get Kitty off my back."

                Remy grinned and started to move Rogue's books, then laid down on her bed and scooted against the wall, and patted the bed next to him. 

                "Remy t'ougt somet'in like dat... besides, Remy all ready got yo', right, chere? He figure dat mean any othah crushes yo' had be pretty much ovah with." 

                He chuckled at that , obviously quite secure in his ability to keep a girl.

                She dropped her hands to her sides, walking to her bed. Remy's apparent engagement to Belladonna hadn't been so lightly brushed aside, Rogue noted, feeling even worse. She crawled into her bed, stretching out beside him, and snaked her arm around his waist.

                "Ya always so forgivin' of me, an' Ah been so horrible ta ya. How can ya be so sweet?"

                Remy shrugged and slid his arm around her shoulders. 

                "I's Remy's philosophy... Yo' can't control everyt'in, especially de past, so yo' jus have ta move on an' accept t'ings... Dat really applies ta othah peoples faults or mistakes, cause everyone makes dem, so Remy ain' one ta criticize... Besides, ain' like yo' done nutting really horrible." 

                He smiled and toyed with her hair a bit, glad that Kitty would be distracted for awhile so they could have some alone time.

                Rogue sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder, relaxing. If she could have been as forgiving as he was, maybe they wouldn't have gotten into so many fights as they did. But there was a world of time to make it up to him. Still, she didn't think he realized just how much he had to forgive her for.

                "But what about when Ah accused ya of workin' for Trask, or of bein' a two-timer.. Ever since ya came here Ah been inventin' news ways ta be suspicious of ya."

                Remy just chuckled and used his free arm to fluff the pillow up a bit beneath his head. 

                "Yea, dat's true, p'tite, but yo' always been wrong. How can Remy feel angry 'bout bein right, hm? Besides, like Remy say, he make mistakes too. I mean, he was 'bout ta get real mad back dere wit' yo', but den he remembah dat Remy jus' too sexy fo' yo' ta leave him." He grinned and closed his eyes, snuggling up with Rogue.

                Rogue chuckled and pinched him in the side.

                "That's what ya think, but ya're totally clueless." This coming from a girl who had been clueless about his feelings for the longest time. "Ya may may be handsome an' charmin', but thats why anyone else would like ya. Not me."

                She closed her eyes, breathing in his scent and thinking about his auburn hair and breathtaking eyes, not to mention his well-built form. Yes, he was most definitely handsome.

                "Den why do yo' like Remy, hm? He really wanna know..." He rolled onto his side and slid his free arm across her stomach and pulled her into the same position, so they were face to face. He half-opened his eyes, a dreamy smile on his face, and watched her. "Remy didn' t'ink he had many othah good qualities aside from his looks an' charm, ma belle fleur..."

                Rogue shifted easily into his arms, moving her hand from his waist to his face, tracing a gloved finger along his jaw.

                "Ya put yaself down too much.. Despite what ya say, or what others may think, you're good person. Ya put on a show for some people, but when ya bein' honest you're more sincere than anyone." Rogue smiled as if she were daydreaming. "Ya too cocky for ya own good sometimes, but ya always so thoughtful. An' despite what ya geometry teacher says, you're intelligent. More so than a certain recently-dumped guy Ah can think of."

                Remy grinned at that and his hand slid up along her side and he brought two fingers to his lips and kissed them, then pressed them to Rogue's lips. 

                "Yo' such a sweetheaht, p'tite, Remy surprised dat yo' don' have bumble bees followin' yo' around, cause yo' words is like honey." 

                Remy was glad that she hadn't decided to actually study. He'd much rather spend his time flirting with her... It really was getting to be one of his favorite hobbies.

                Her gaze softened at the gesture. Any closer and she'd run the risk of grazing his neck or arm. If only he'd worn longer sleeves.. No, she couldn't bear the thought of Remy having to cover up like she did. He didn't deserve that, and the gloves bothered her enough. Trying not to think of it, Rogue forced a small smile as she ran her hand through his hair, studying the impossible shades of his eyes.

                "Ah learn from the best."

                Remy chuckled and reached back behind him. His hand slid into one of his pockets and grabbed onto something as he pressed his body against hers, gently moving her onto her back with him above her. 

                "Remy got a surprise fo' yo', p'tite... Close yo' eyes, hm?" He asked in his best pleading voice.

                Rogue's cheeks flushed as she positioned her on her back, hands falling around his shoulders. It wasn't as if he'd be able to try anything, but even if her skin wasn't a factor, she trusted him. But this was the worst yet position for them to be in if Kitty decided to walk in. Still, her curiosity was piqued, and so she obliged him by closing her eyes, a small smile playing her lips.

                Remy pulled out a large square of sheer, white silk he'd bought just after school. He'd been wandering around the market and found some cheap fabric, which had inspired this. He laid the silk over her face and leaned in, his lips pressed to hers through the thin barrier. It wasn't quite the same, but he could still feel her through it, and it was better than nothing at all, right?

                Rogue's body tensed slightly under his, the feeling of his lips through the material barely a shadow of what she'd been able to feel before. Indeed, it wasn't the same. Her heart wrenched at his efforts, though, but the fact remained; he'd spend the rest of his life thinking around ways to almost touch her, and eventually it would drive him over the edge. If only she could be absolutely sure that she was able to develop the same control over her powers as Carol had, then maybe it would make the waiting more endurable. But how could she find out? Maybe if the Professor... 

                Rogue couldn't continue like this, but indulged in the feeling for a short while anyway, kissing him back as best she was able before pushing him away slightly, slipping the material off.

                "We can't have Kitty walk in on us like this..."

                Remy sighed and smiled slightly. 

                "Remy sorry, chere, wasn't de same... Yo' right, maybe we should actually get ta some Geometry, hm?" He sat up and his smile brightened "If de teachah was as pretty as yo' den Remy sho' de class be a lot easiah... At least on Remy's eyes." He chuckled and grabbed for his book.


	30. Chapter 28: Ace of Hearts

                Chapter 28: Ace of Hearts

                The next day, it seemed Scott hadn't changed his mind. He'd heard through the grapevine, aka Kitty, that she'd accepted his invitation, and had managed to flag her down that morning. Not wanting to risk exposing her secret about Remy, and not wanting to hurt the feelings of a friend and teammate, Rogue agreed to let him take her to a movie. 

                She spent the whole time wishing a certain Cajun was here with her instead, while Scott tried to chat her up a bit. It didn't take Rogue long to realize that they had absolutely nothing in common. How could she have ever imagined being with him? He was a good guy, of course, and his heart was in the right place (though the date seemed more like revenge against Jean). 

                So, Rogue maintained an air of having a relatively good time, but was all too thankful for when they arrived back at the mansion. The car pulled into the garage, and she got out. She only hoped he'd since got his senses back and would try to fix things with Jean.

                "Ah had a good time, Scott. It was fun hangin' out with ya." She used the term 'hanging out' deliberately. It seemed that people kept trying to take her out on 'dates' against her will.

                Remy had spent some time not-quite-happy that she would go out with Scott even after having said she was just trying to throw Kitty off the trail. Then he thought, that's the problem with lies, isn't it? You always get tangled up in them. He hadn't been able to stay mad long. Besides, the guy had just gotten dumped, he couldn't be feeling too spectacular. 

                So Remy just sat in his room, a hat on the floor in front of his chair, several cards all ready in it. The little radio he'd recently acquired played some hard rock music, though it wasn't turned up much. He was just waiting for Rogue to get back, really.

                Scott walked with Rogue into the mansion and up to her room, deliberately taking the long route that went through Jean's hallway, talking with a slightly elevated voice.

                "Yeah, I had a really good time with you, Rogue. We should do this again sometime soon."

                Rogue just nodded. If this behavior didn't stop soon, she'd have to come right out and talk to him about it. There was no way she'd go on a second date with Scott, especially after telling Remy she wouldn't. It felt wrong. 

                As soon as Scott went his separate way, Rogue walked immediately to Remy's room, knocking. She looked and felt guilty.

                "I's open!" He didn't want to stand and get the door, besides, he thought, he had important work to do. With that thought Remy tossed another card into the hat and sighed. When it turned out to be Rogue on the other side of the door Remy brightened and grinned. 

                "Come on in an' sit down, chere... Remy been waitin' fo' yo' ta get back."

                Rogue walked in, just happy to see his face. She moved around to sit on his bed and seemingly waiting for something. Sighing, she clasped her hands together, leaning on her knees. Her outfit was decidedly casual - a loose sweatshirt, pants, and a jacket. There was no way Scott would be able to accuse her of 'dressing up' for him.

                "So are ya mad at me?"

                Remy was dressed a bit different than usual, though he still wore the jeans, his boots discarded on the floor, his shirt had long sleeves rather than short sleeves, and he still had the gloves on. He sighed and stood up, dropping the rest of the cards into the hat. He walked over and sat next to her, then slid one of his hands into one of hers. 

                "Remy ain' gonna lie, p'tite, he was befo'... He had time ta t'ink 'bout it, dough... So, as long as yo' didn't come here ta dump Remy, den he can fo'give yo'." He smiled and gave her hand a little squeeze.

                Rogue smiled, more than a little relieved. She'd noted his dress, though, and saw that her fears were coming true. It bothered her that he was slowly becoming a touching recluse like she was. He did it for her, though, and she knew he'd have none of her trying to convince him to dress otherwise. Back to the matter at hand.

                "Ah don't know why he's bein' like this. Ah'm gonna have ta have a talk with him, or with Jean. Just 'cause ya okay with me goin' on sympathy dates don't mean Ah would rather be here with ya."

                The only reason, she realized, that Scott had even chosen her as his rebound girl was that he must have heard she'd like him. Perhaps she'd have to tell him otherwise, directly.

                Remy nodded and got up again. He went over and grabbed his hat before eh went back to his seat beside her and started to sort through the cards to reassemble the deck in what he considered correct order.      "Why he pick yo', dough, chere?... Dat didn't sound like Remy mean... I's jus', was it cause yo' de first person he saw aftah de fight?"

                "Ah dunno, maybe.. Though Ah reckon it's because he found out Ah used ta have a crush on 'im."                 Rogue was embarrassed slightly at talking about that with Remy, but it was all pretty moot now, except for the fact that it had landed her in a troublesome situation. She smirked bitterly.

                "Besides, who better than the goth who can't touch to hit on, to insult Jean the most?"

                Remy chuckled and shook his head, then tossed a card in her lap - the Aces of Hearts - and continued his sorting.

                "Remy would take dat goth ovah some red head any day, chere. He jus' don' know a good woman when he see one like Remy do. I's all in de eyes, p'tite... de windows ta de soul."

                Rogue looked down at the card, playing with it as she thought. Scott definitely needed to be spoken to. She needed to put a stop to this before it progressed into something disastrous. A smile graced her features once more as she looked up at him, and into his demonic eyes.

                "Then what does that say about *your* soul?"

                Remy stopped what he was doing and looked her in the eye, his face quite serious. He leaned forward, his voice soft as he spoke, eyes never leaving hers, not even to blink. 

                "It say like Remy tell yo', he no good, his soul unclean, touched by de Devil hisself an' dat all de t'ings dat happen to him are jus' de tip of de iceberg, de calm befo' de storm, and dat anyone even close ta Remy is gonna have ta pay a terrible price..." Then he leaned back and smiled. "Or it jus' mean dat Remy was unlucky when dey was passin out de eye colahs." He chuckled and returned to his card sorting.

                Remy held her rapt attention during his melodramatic little speech, and Rogue blinked as he broke the tension with a smile. She smiled back, though she couldn't quite tell whether he was joking. It was easier to treat it like one, though. 

                "Is that what they told ya when ya were a kid? Hah, what garbage."

                Rogue had to wonder whether the color of his eyes had to do with his mutant powers, though the connection between blowing stuff up and having red on black eyes eluded her. It must have been a purely physical mutation, like with Kurt. Looking like a gargoyle didn't have much to do with teleportation.

                Finally he was done and snatched the Ace of Hearts back from her to complete it, then tossed the hat onto the floor. It slid under a chair and Remy gave a low whistle. "Now dat's a challenge, hm?" He took the Ace of Hearts from teh top and held it up in front of her. "How 'bout a kiss fo' good luck, chere?"

                Rogue smirked and snatched the card from his fingers, kissed it, and threw it herself across the room. The card fluttered slightly as it sailed across the room, spinning. It bounced off the rim of the hat, tipping over before it fell inside. 


	31. Chapter 29: Mutantile Delinquent

                Chapter 29: Mutantile Delinquent

                It had been all over the news for the past week. Today was the first day they would outfit the school with the new 'X-Gene Detection Systems' which were basically Mutie scanners. A petition had gotten over 1,000 signatures from parents concerned of what troubled Mutants might do, especially since they knew that disturbed students were ready to bring in guns to kill. Mutant powers could be much more dangerous. There was all ready a bill being passed through to have all schools given these detectors, claiming Mutant powers could be classified as dangerous weapons. 

                It was obvious to Charles Xavier that this was just a stepping stone towards the Mutant Registration laws that had failed so far. Many parents were concerned what disturbed children with Mutant powers might do. So now any child that was discovered to be a mutant would be given a tracking band to wear on school grounds. This was justified, of course, to ensure that a Mutant wasn't unfairly accused of some mischief. It was all just the newest racist movement, really. 

                Right now, though, there was nothing he could do about it, so he told all the students to not worry and just go along with it until they could do something legally. Remy was worried, though, because the people who had made the machines were the Friends of Humanity group, and they were the ones who posted security guards by each to attach and remove the tracker bracelets. He did as he was told, though, and let them put the black band around his wrist before he continued on to class.

                He glared back at the machines that looked so much like metal detectors - and they served that purpose too, but had different alarm sounds for whether it was metal or a mutant - and glared at the guards. This was very unfair.

                Rogue pushed through the crowded hallways as the lunch bell rang, her head bowed more than usual. She tried her best to hide the tracker bracelet behind the books she carried, but they were told to keep them visible at all times. She wondered, angrily, what difference it made - they were used to track, not to label them as mutants for all to see. Or maybe they were. It was an invasion of her privacy, to be sure.

                As the other Bayville High students made their way towards the lunch room, Rogue remained wandering the now sparse hallways idly, looking for Remy. He had a way of making her day brighter just by appearing.

                As Rogue turned the corner she found out where Remy was. 

                "Say, mutie, that's some nice jewelry you got there." Some hulking behemoth in a letterman jacket and his equally large friends. The boy shoved Remy into the lockers and the Cajun grunted, but didn't retaliate, at least physically. 

                "Yea, yo' momma give it ta Remy aftah he make her scream last night." He grinned, but for his quip he got a nice right hook to the jaw that sent him stumbling sideways. They wouldn't let him get away, though, and one shoved him against the lockers. 

                "Oh no, mutie, we aren't done with you yet..."

                Rogue watched, Logan's inherited short fuse taking over. Dropping her books to the floor, she stormed over to them, giving the boy who was pinning Remy a rough shove.

                "Back off, ya creep! Why don't ya pick someone with ya own IQ?"

                The boy's hold on Remy didn't loosen, and one of his buddies grabbed Rogue's wrist, twisting it to display the tracker for all to see.

                "What's the matter," the kid sneered at Remy. "Need your mutie girlfriend to fight your fights?"

                Rogue struggled against his hold, striking the arm that held her. "Let me go!"

                Her efforts barely fazed him, and he seized her other wrist, forcing her back against the lockers and pinning them above her head. He leaned in to leer at her. "Hey, I have powers too, how about I show ya?"

                Rogue cowered back against the wall, fearful. He was much too close.

                Remy gritted his teeth and nailed the kid that was holding him in the groin with a quick knee shot. As his grip slackened Remy got him in the stomach with a left jab and finished him off with a right to the nose. There was a cracking of cartilage and blood spurted out as the boy fell to the floor. 

                Remy whirled on the one holding Rogue and kicked him hard in the back of the knee, then grabbed him by the hair and pulled him away from Rogue, his fist slamming into the boy's esophagus. Two down. The third came after Remy but fell like a sack of bricks when Remy gave him a swift kick in the temple. Then he was taken to the floor as one of the FoH security guards tackled him from behind. 

                Remy growled and elbowed them man in the side of the head and flipped over. He head butted the man, which finally got him off, then kicked him in the face. Another guard ran in and jumped on Remy, followed by a third. They held him down while the guard Remy had kicked pulled out a needle and injected something into Remy's neck. The Cajun soon stopped struggling and his eyes closed. Once that was done the guards started to pick him up, and one turned to Rogue. 

                "Go to lunch before we report you too, mutant."

                Rogue watched in horror as Remy's body slumped, the guards hauling him away to God knows where. "Wait, ya can't do this! They were-"

                "A mutant attacked three civilians. Do you think he wasn't using his powers if he took down three by himself? Now get out of here before you become an accessory."

                Rogue was about to protest when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Kurt, his eyes sad and sympathetic, and he shook his head slightly. It was only when he pulled her away that Rogue moved. As soon as they were out of sight, she spoke.

                "It's not fair! Those kids attacked him first!"

                Kurt shook his head again, "I know, but zhere's nothing ve can do."

                She wrung her hands, feeling more helpless now than ever before.

                "What are they gonna do with him?"

                Kurt shrugged meekly. "Ve'll talk to zhe Professor, he'll know what to do."

                The news on the TV switched from the mutant detector initiative to what had happened at the school. Two students in critical condition, one with his nose shattered, one with a collapsed trachea. The other was held for a few days with a concussion. The picture switched from the students in hospital beds to the anchor woman behind her desk. 

                "The president has just given the Friends of Humanity a ten-thousand-dollar grant after seeing their new mutant holding facility where the boy, Remy LeBeau, will be kept. The facility has all ready received state sanctioning and has several police personnel on staff to make sure there is no mistreatment. We will be coming to you with a tour of the facility tomorrow." 

                That was the end of the news for tonight. No mention of where the facility was, or when Remy might be released, or even have his trial.

                Rogue sat in Xavier's office, hunched over and staring at the floor. She had told the Professor about the situation that had just transpired, though there was nothing he could do. Because Remy was a mutant, no doubt he'd receive harsher treatment for the rules he broke. Rogue also doubted that the boys who started the whole thing would get in trouble. It simply wasn't fair. Xavier's voice broke her thoughts.

                "Acting as Remy's guardian, I have tried to contact the Friends of Humanity leaders and the school administration, but they refuse to reveal the facility's location. They are restricting all visitation and communications. Now that they have the government's backing, there is no hope of bringing the matter of Remy's rights as a prisoner to trial."

                When Rogue made no attempt to comment, the Professor continued. He realized how hard this must be for her. He glanced over at Logan, who was standing in the corner with his arms folded, but he had averted his gaze from Rogue, too. 

                "I have my suspicions about this group. The technology they have implemented at the school far surpasses what they possessed when you and Remy were at the cinema only months ago. They must be receiving outside aid, but I don't imagine it is from the government." Looking pensive, Xavier turned to Logan.

                "We have no choice. Remy must be freed, and we must discover more about this organization and their intentions. I'll attempt to track him using Cerebro, and then an assembled team can move in."

                Logan only grunted in assent, suddenly straightening and exiting the room. He needed a cigar.

                Rogue looked up as soon as Logan was gone, one hand lifting to touch her earring absent mindedly. "Professor.. Ah've.. been thinkin' about Carol. Why can't Ah look at her memories?"

                Xavier glanced back at Rogue, raising a brow before sighing. "Even if she weren't repressed, her will is too strong. She's keeping you out on purpose."

                "But.. Is there some way Ah could try? What if she knows somethin' about this? Ah could use her powers to help rescue Remy!"

                Xavier shook his head woefully, seeing where this was going.

                "Rogue, I cannot simply force your mind open and unlock her entity. We run the risk of her regaining control, and even permanent damage."

                "But it's not fair! Ah need her, she knows how to use and control all my abilities! If Ah could just.. *look*, we could find out how she's able to do it!"

                "I'm sorry, Rogue. Control is something you must develop for yourself. I don't mean anything by this, but if your body is unable to develop control, it can never be forced into you. You risk hurt to yourself."

                Rogue sat for a long moment, seething. She knew he had the ability to look into her mind, would he really deny her the chance to be normal? More upset than ever, Rogue stood and stormed out of Xavier's office, who was left to mourn his two troubled students.


	32. Chapter 30: Breaking News

                Chapter 30: Breaking News

                The Professor dispatched a team the next day, without Rogue in the line-up. As soon as the Blackbird got even close to where he believed the FoH facility was, though, they were flanked by F-18s and forced to turn around by order of the United States Air Force. This wasn't good. The Professor continued to try to use his contacts to find ways to free Remy, but after a little more than a week, it wasn't necessary. Kitty came running through the wall into the room she shared with Rogue, shaken visibly. 

                "Omigod omigod omigod! Rogue! You'll never believe what happened, you have to come!" 

                Before Rogue could question it Kitty grabbed her hand and pulled her to the living room, using the short way, a la phasing. What was on the screen, all the students gathered around, was a Breaking News Report, the kind they interrupted programs for. 

                "This just in," said the anchorwoman, "Mutant criminal Remy LeBeau who hospitalized three high school students last week has escaped from the holding facility where he was being kept. A Friends of Humanity spokesman said that it was because they had underestimated his powers and didn't have adequate funding to handle the magnitude of his abilities. He should be considered highly dangerous, and always armed. Any object he touches can be turned into a high-powered explosive. If anyone sees Remy LeBeau please get to a safe place and contact the authorities." 

                She paused as the camera changed angles and she turned. "In related news, the President has boosted the grant to the Friends of Humanity, and also given funding to build more mutant holding facilities. A White House spokesman had this to say," 

                The scene switched to a man standing behind a podium with the Seal of the President of the United States. 

                "It has become clear to this establishment that the mutant threat is far greater than we suspected. Since powers usually manifest in the teen years they can amplify the usual stress and angst, creating powerful, unstable individuals who must be closely monitored. A new bill proposing that mutants be required to register their names and powers with the government is being put through the Senate as we speak." 

                The video clip ended and the camera returned to the anchorwoman. "The protests that usually follow these bills are nearly non-existent. Only a few mutants and supporters protested earlier, but most have given up by now. This bill is expected to pass with an unprecedented landslide vote. We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming. Stick with Channel 5 for breaking news in this mutant conflict."

                Rogue felt her entire body going numb as the story unfolded. It looked as if the registration act was closer than ever to being passed, and the social prosecution she and Remy had faced last week in school was just the tip of the impending iceberg. But Remy was free, and that small fact alone made her heart swell. Without saying a word to Kitty, Rogue ran back to her room and waited, trying not to think of the world that was crashing down around them. 

                He'd come back, wouldn't he? Hours passed, and there was no sign of him, not even a call. He must be on the run, in hiding. She needed to find him. Her conversation with the Professor days ago resurfaced in her memory and inside she was raging.

                She had the power necessary to help Remy within her mind, but she couldn't reach it. And the Professor, possibly the one man who was able to help, refused. In her anger she failed to see his logic. If he wouldn't connect her mind with Carol, then she would have to take measures into her own hands.

                Rogue sat in the middle of her bed, recalling her training with Logan. He had included a lot of philosophy with their study of martial arts, and had even taught a introductory lesson to meditation. Perhaps she could use it not to get in touch with her own mind, but with those within it. Rogue glanced at the door, hoping Kitty wouldn't be returning soon. She took a deep breath; it was her only choice, and it was for Remy.

                With a hesitating hand, Rogue removed one earring, and then the other. Nothing so far.. Perhaps she had more control over Carol than she thought. She heard the ticking of the clock, closed her eyes, and started to let her mind drift. 

                She wasn't sure how much time passed. It was a long time, she knew, and with no apparent results, Rogue wondered if this would work. That's when she felt it.

                'What do you think you're doing?'

                The voice was small, faint, but it sent a chill through Rogue's being.

                'I asked you a question.'

                Rogue had no idea what to do. Carol wasn't exactly someone she could chat with.

                'Ah.. Ah want to know how ya use ya powers.. and how ya control mine.' Might as well get straight to the point.

                She could feel Carol laughing; there was no sound to it, but she got the distinct impression that she was amused. For a few moments there was no reply, but then it happened. She could feel Carol slamming against her mind, against the weakened shields Rogue's earrings maintained, only being a few feet away from her head. Rogue was caught off guard, the pain clouding her senses. She couldn't hold Carol back.. she'd take over again.. 

                Fist clenched around her earrings, Rogue forced her hands to her forehead, wincing against Carol's raging entity, which was screaming...

                She must have passed out, because when she opened her eyes it was much darker outside. Hastily, she put her earrings back on, but the throbbing remained. Mentally, she reviewed her memories, her abilities, and found nothing.. She had failed. Her eyes began to well before she forced her attention on the situation at hand. Remy was out there, and she'd find him, with or without Carol's abilities. 

                The next day there was nothing but news on. They'd found Remy, and he was locked up in the Bayville City Bank & Trust. He had 37 customers and 12 employees held hostage. The street outside of the bank, the cameras showed, had several charred remains of cars strewn about. It was about 1 pm. 

                "The stand-off has persisted for four hours all ready, and police have yet to receive any demands from the mutant fugitive. They are unsure of his motivations, though some speculate he is simply out to destroy the world that rejected him. Wait a second, what's that?"

                 It was Remy. He shoved one of the glass doors open and suddenly there were several red streaks shooting through the sky. Two of them hit the tops of buildings and sent the sharpshooters plummeting to the street below, buried in rubble. The others slammed into police cars, officers jumping clear as they exploded in flames. Wolverine came into the living room and grabbed Bobby Drake away, then Scott and Jean. He was assembling a team to go after Remy.

                Rogue ran downstairs, having heard the entire thing on the radio. What was Remy doing? Was he so enraged that he was going around attacking public places, simply to get revenge? That wasn't like him. 

Rogue rushed into the living room, looking at Logan leading team members away. Her face was expectant. But he didn't say anything to her.

                "Logan, Ah'm goin', aren't Ah?"

                Logan stopped and looked at her, then shook his head. "Sorry, Stripes, Chuck said no. This is just going to be a quick pick up. He all ready has the go ahead to rehabilitate Remy here, as an expert in mutant psychology. We just have to get to him before the cops hand him back over to the Friends."

                "But-"

                But, Logan would have none of it. With a gruff expression, he turned his back on her and went to see the team off. Rogue hung back, stung. Even if there was nothing she could do to help, she wanted to at least be there for him. And now they were denying her even that comfort. Rogue waited until the Blackbird had taken off before marching into the garage and surveying what she found. 

                Logan would put her in level ten every day for a week if she took his motorcycle, but Scott.. he wasn't as tough. His bike wasn't as big, and seemed easy enough to ride. Fitting herself with a helmet, Rogue got on and started it, accidentally peeling out of the driveway.


	33. Chapter 31: Stand Off

                Chapter 31: Stand Off

                It took some time before Rogue got the handle of driving the motorcycle, but as soon as she had it under control she sped down the deserted nighttime streets. There weren't very many people outside, either, as everyone was glued to their television sets.

                She could see the lights of downtown up ahead, and no doubt the Blackbird was hovering up above the scene somehow, searching for Remy. The thought made her slow down, coming to a stop in a dark side street, the only light coming from one nearly burnt out street lamp. She couldn't let the other X Men know she was here. They'd stop her, and send her back immediately. Rogue kicked out the bike stand, and dismounted the bike.

                There was an explosion then. The stand-off had continued even now, but it was coming to an end, they said. That end was not good for those trying to get Remy. The glass doors of the bank shattered and Remy ran out. He had two submachine guns that were firing red, glowing bullets that exploded on contact. As he ran down the steps then along the sidewalk Wolverine appeared behind him, only to take an exploding round to the chest, which knocked him back. Remy disappeared around a corner, leaving fire and wreckage behind him.

                Rogue took off the helmet, gazing wide eyed towards the bank. Something was happening, and it couldn't be good. Leaving the bike behind, Rogue took to the shadows, running along alleys and side streets towards the scene. If she knew anything about Remy, she'd be finding him in the dark places where he could easily hide. 

                Her outfit was completely black. She'd put on one of the bodysuits she typically wore during training, and a black jacket. She decided against her X Men uniform. If something happened to her, she wouldn't let herself be traced back to them.

                Ahead of her in one of the alleys a familiar form dodged around a corner. A police car screeched to a halt and tried to spin around, only to be flipped by an explosion near the front right wheel. The police officers tried to scramble out before the fire spread to the gas tank.

                Rogue skidded to a stop as the car flipped over. She barely had time to process what had happened before the car exploded, sending shrapnel and fire everywhere. Thinking quickly, Rogue dodged into a side alley in the same direction that Remy had left in. There was barely enough room for two people to walk shoulder to shoulder, and the brick wall blurred past her as she raced down the alley, hoping to get to the end in time to see where Remy had gone.

                He hadn't gone anywhere. Remy was pressed against the wall, the guns in holsters strapped to his thighs. He held two clips which had started to glow with the red energy which usually charged his cards. The police hadn't made it here yet, so he had time, just not a lot. He looked over at Rogue as she came out of the alley and frowned. 

                "I's not safe fo' yo' heah, p'tite... Remy got work ta finish."

                Rogue whirled at the sound of his voice before rushing over to him, without much thought. She noted that he was carrying guns, and seemed ready for war.

                "Remy, what happened? What are you doing here, why didn't you come back to the institute?"

                Her head spun; there were simply too many questions to ask at once. But he could answer them later. She reached out a gloved hand to him.

                "Come on, we have ta get outta here before the rest of the police find us!"

                Remy shook his head, loading the submachine guns one at a time. 

                "Sorry, p'tite, Remy's eyes been opened, now. He see dat de world needs a lesson. We is de superior race. Dey need ta know dat." 

                A helicopter buzzed by the top of the building and whirled around to face where Remy and Rogue stood, a chain-gun mounted to it's underbelly. "Drop the weapons or we will have to use force!" Remy just fired a volley at the helicopter, which exploded and fell to the ground before the pilot could get a shot off. 

                "Now get outta heah! I's not safe!"

                Rogue covered her face with her arm as the helicopter fell, expecting an explosion to rip through the streets at any minute. She looked up at him, worried and confused.

                "Ya know that's not true! It's like the Professah taught us, people are just afraid of what they don't understand. These people," she nearly shouted, gesturing at the policemen, civilians, and innocents that populated the city around them. "They don't deserve this! Listen, we need ta get ya back home. Ya aren't thinkin' straight."

                Her hand grasped his arm, expression urgent and pleading.

                His arm tensed and he dropped the gun back into it's holster, as if to surrender... Instead he pulled away and delivered a vicious backhand to Rogue. 

                "Dey is sheep! Dey ain' even fit ta-" 

                Remy's rant was cut short, and the other gun fell to the ground. A metal dart with black feathers protruded from Remy's neck. He weaved a bit unsteadily then collapsed in a heap. That's when a similar dart found it's way into Rogue's neck as well.

                The force caused Rogue to spin, catching herself against the brick wall. Her eyes welled, but not just from the pain. What had happened to him? This wasn't like him, he wouldn't do any of this. Rogue didn't have much time to lament over the situation before she felt the prick in her neck. Vision darkening and her body becoming weak, Rogue slid down the wall and crumpled to the ground.

                Everything was black. Rogue returned to consciousness slowly, listening to her surroundings carefully. Her limbs felt too heavy to move, but she forced her body to cooperate. She was lying on hard concrete floor, and opening her eyes, she realized she was within some kind of holding cell. The walls and floor were the same gray color, and the bars were made from an odd material - not metal. With a faint groan, Rogue pushed herself into a sitting position, vision clearing to look across the hallway.

                The cell opposite to hers held Remy, strapped to a table by metal bands. Some equipment beeped next to him, and several IV drips flowed into his arms. He was still unconscious. 

                And that was all. Rogue laid back down slowly in defeat. There was nothing she could do now, they were both captured. She didn't think they were being held by the police - this prison seemed too nondescript, and what kind of holding cell wouldn't have the typical metal bars? It must have been an FoH holding facility. What would they do? If they discovered the potentials of her power, would they get the same idea as Trask? Or merely kill her, or keep them here like this forever? And what would happen to Remy? He was wanted by law enforcement too, now, and they'd take no risks in letting him escape again. And there was nothing she could do.

                There was one thing, she remembered, though it hadn't worked the last time. But there was no choice. 

                Wearily, Rogue lifted a hand to her head, removing her earrings one by one. She could feel Carol immediately. She was more pronounced now, but still small from her time in repression.

                'What an unfortunate position you've gotten yourself into.'

                'And are ya gonna get us outta it?'

                Carol paused. 'What makes you think I'd help you?'

                'Because ya don't want ta die, either. An' ya don't want them testin' me anymore than Ah do. Now, Ah want ya ta help us.'

                '"Us"? As soon as I get near LeBeau, consider him as good as dead.'

                'Ya got no reason ta be angry with him. He's not workin' for Trask, he's his enemy now. Ya got nothin' ta gain by killin' him.'

                'I don't believe you.'

                'But ya would gain somethin' by revengin' yaself on these people.'

                'What are you saying?'

                'Get us outta here, don't hurt him, and ya can have ya way with the people holdin' us.' Rogue gripped the earrings in her hand. 'Ya know if ya try ta take over without my permission, Ah'll just send ya back. And if Ah let ya take over and ya try ta escape, ya know the Professah will find ya again. Take ya chance now ta get revenge, or ya'll never have it again.'

                Rogue's body lay still for some time as the two thought together, weighing each other's strengths and weaknesses. 

                Some time had passed before a banging, rattling noise echoed from the prisoners' holding cells.


	34. Chapter 32: A Deal With the Devil

                Chapter 32: A Deal With the Devil

                Two guards ran down the hall and stopped in front of Rogue's cell as she attacked the bars. They laughed together and watched as a man in a lab coat jogged up from the opposite direction. 

                "What happened?" he asked the guards. They replied with a simple shrug before one asked, "Are her powers dangerous to use out here?" 

                The man in the lab coat just shook his head and flipped a few pieces of paper on the clipboard he held. "No... She requires touch... Not a candidate for conditioning like her friend over there. He's more the kind we need." 

                The guards nodded and soon the man in the lab coat departed and left them there. One grinned and got a bit closer, just out of reach. 

                "Well, girly, looks like you're gonna be here for a loooong time. Might as well settle down."

                Rogue spit at the man's face, taking a step back from the bars. Her shoulders squared, and her chest puffed out slightly in a challenging stance.

                "You talk big from out there, but why don't you come in here? You're just cowards. You can't even stand up to a girl, can you?"

                She spit again, face curling into a snarl. She threw a vicious kick to the bars, causing them to rattle loudly again, making it clear she wasn't going to 'settle down' anytime soon.

                The guard frowned and wiped the spit from his face with his sleeve, then grabbed what looked like a cattle prod from his belt. 

                "Open it up, I'm gonna have to sedate her..." The other one chuckled and moved to a panel on the wall next to her cell. He typed in an access code and a section of bars slid into the floor. The guard moved into her cell and electricity jumped at the end of the cattle prod. "All right, girly, let's go..."

                Rogue took a few steps back, waiting before she threw a calculated kick. Her foot struck the tip of the prod. The jolt sent a vibration up her spine, but the tip cracked and shorted out. The guard sneered.

                "Fine, we'll just have to do this the hard way!"

                He moved forward, and Rogue allowed him to grab her roughly by the collar, receiving a direct punch to her jaw. She fell onto her back, unmoving as the man stepped over and proceeded to throw several kicks to her torso. She waited as he lifted her to her feet, continuing to strike her and determined to render her unconscious - she would need quite a store of power. The break out would have to be quick and forceful. 

                No longer flinching, Rogue's arm shot out to grasp the man by the neck, crushing his throat instantly. As he crumpled, the other guard started in shock, not having enough time to cry out before he was sent crashing back into Remy's cell bars. Rogue followed, twisting the man's neck with a loud *snap!*. Looking up and down the hall, Rogue reached forward and snapped the lock on Remy's bars, sliding the door back as she approached the table. 

                It wasn't really in her interest to save him, but she knew she'd pay the price later if she didn't keep to her word. Her hand grasped the IVs in his arm and ripped them out unceremoniously, and then pried the metal bands off.

                When he didn't wake up, Rogue sneered and pulled herself away. He'd eventually come to and take care of himself, or he'd be found. She hadn't killed him, and that was enough. 

                Covertly, she made her way out of the cell block and into the rest of the facility. The people she came across had no time to realize she was even there before their necks were broken, or she used a carefully placed kinetic charge to their clothing (thanks to Remy's previously borrowed powers) to blow them apart. Revenge was sweet.

                Remy came to soon enough, the drugs not meant to keep him under long, just to be pumped in continuously. As he got to his feet he stumbled out into the hall and followed the destruction and dead bodies... He'd find a way out eventually, or whoever was doing this could surely help get him out so he could continue his mission.

                Rogue's path of death lead to the main foyer of the holding facility. Those who hadn't been killed had fled the building upon witnessing the killing, and she reveled in the blood that covered her face and hands, ungloved. A tall blonde man emerged from one of the offices, having watched for some time. His voice was calm and confident.

                "You show great courage in attacking defenseless humans, my dear."

                Rogue watched him with an icy blue gaze.

                "And you are?"

                "Donald Pierce, but I won't be insulted if you don't remember my name." He held his fist in his palm.

                That was all the challenge she needed, and with blurring speed, she rushed him.

                Remy walked in at that moment, not having been slowed by guards like Rogue had. Rogue was there, she'd been caught too... and was she responsible for all this? She was obviously not going to stop yet, one more person stood in her way. What was the guy doing? He didn't even have any weapons. He was about to get slaughtered.

                They parried for a few moments before Rogue felt the strength fading a bit. Her guard dropped, and she took the punishment he dealt out. It was easy to tell that he wasn't human, and his strength, speed, and stamina were all enhanced. However, he was still no match. 

                Rogue fell onto her back as he kicked her square in the chest. He backed up a bit, standing straight and calm, showing no signs of fatigue. She could feel the power coursing through her body once more, and she flipped back onto her feet. With an enraged cry, she stepped forward and thrust her fist at his heart. 

                The hands that came up to block her punch snapped backward, a mess of metal and wires spilling out. Her fist drove on, thrusting impossibly through his chest and burying itself in the cyborg's shorting circuits. Its body jerked for a moment, blood seeping profusely down her arm. His heart throbbed once, twice in her grip, and then stopped. He fell back to the ground, smoke seeping forth with steam from the hot blood. Rogue stood back, hand red and gory.

                Remy approached slowly and looked down at the man. 

                "Gee, chere, dat was... somet'in..." He rubbed the back of his neck and looked at her.. at her blue eyes. He stepped back and frowned. "Wha' yo' do wit Remy's p'tite?" He backed up against the reception desk and quickly grabbed a pen in case he needed to defend himself.

                She turned to face him, grinning morbidly.

                "I didn't do anything with her, she let me have this body." She watched as he backed away, elated at his fear. "You should be more grateful, if it weren't for me you'd still be sedated in a cell."

                She started to walk towards him slowly.

                "They've got to you, haven't they? You'll want to join me now, surely, for real this time. Join me, and we'll see much more blood than this."

                She gestured, in Rogue's body, gleefully at the bodies around her, and the gore that covered her head to toe.

                He arched a brow and frowned. 

                "Yo' lyin'... Gonna try an' kill Remy... He can't be bothahed by dat now, he got homo sapiens ta kill. Dey need ta be put in deir place." He inched away from her a little. "He don' need ta make further conflict by gettin' in fights with othah mutants."

                Carol smirked. He was clearly brainwashed. 

                "I couldn't agree more. If I wanted to kill you, however, you'd be dead by now. Join me, help me hide from Xavier's mutants, and I will show you the location of several very high ranking homo sapiens.. The higher your aim, the more destruction you cause."

                Her blue eyes flashed with excitement. She'd well forgotten about her agreement with the girl, by now. This was her chance.

                Remy grinned at that and stopped. Was she serious? Was she going to help him? What about Rogue, though? Carol said Rogue had given her the body... Why? So she could help him? To escape? He couldn't let Carol keep Rogue's body... But clearly he couldn't stop her either... A dilemma. First priority was getting out of here before reinforcements showed up, though. 

                "Prove it ta Remy, chere. Prove dat yo' ain' gonna double-cross him."

                Remy paused as he thought of a way for her to prove it. Then inspiration struck. "Let Remy speak wit' p'tite."

                She paused, then shrugged. She was in control of this body now, and without Xavier around, Carol had no fear of being repressed after letting Rogue resurface.

                "Very well."

                She froze up as her eyes blinked, darkening to their usual green color. Rogue gasped, the pain shooting through her body causing her to knees to buckle. Her first thought went to her pockets, where her hand instantly grasped her earrings. 

                As if sensing her thought, Carol raged against her mind again, not having enough time before Rogue brought the tiny devices to her forehead. She could almost hear Carol's screams as she faded back into nothing. 

                Shaking from the abuse her body had taken during Carol's escapade, and from the mental effort, Rogue sank to her knees. The first sight when she opened her eyes was the blood that covered her hands, and the bodies sprawled out around her. She looked up.

                "Remy..?"

                Remy knelt down in front of her. He tore a strip from the white detention facility shirt and took the earrings from her, then gently put them back into her ears. 

                "Dere, p'tite... We need ta go now... De police be here soon..." 

                There was a low chuckle from the doors and the sounds of footsteps. 

                "Well the police are too late, Gumbo. We're here first, and Chuck has state permission to rehab both of you. The Friends of Humanity just lost all their funding." 

                Remy looked up and saw Wolverine approaching, the Blackbird in the parking lot outside. 

                "But... How dey know all ready? And how yo' know?" 

                Wolverine smiled and shrugged. "I have connections. Come on." 

                Remy helped Rogue up then shook his head. "Remy got a mission ta finish." 

                Wolverine chuckled and before Remy knew what hit him... Well, Wolverine's fist did. 

                "Get some sense, Cajun. I could shred you right here. Just come along peaceful like." 


	35. Chapter 33: Healing

                Chapter 33: Healing

                For the next week or so, Rogue spent her time in the ward. Once again, Carol had afforded her plenty of injuries and abuse - she certainly had no problem returning her body in slightly less perfect condition. The Professor spent one day making sure that the earrings still worked, and that Carol was definitely repressed. Logan had snuck in a few days later to lend her his healing factor. Needless to say, he seemed pretty upset that she'd disobeyed him and went out after Remy. After all, look where it got her. He didn't say anything though. 

                After another couple days of rest, Rogue was released by Dr McCoy, and her first thought was to see Remy. It was late into the evening when she entered the room where he was kept. The Professor explained how Remy would have to be kept sedated for a time while he began the delicate process of piecing Remy's persona back together. He'd been mentally reprogrammed during his time in the FoH facility, which explained his burning desire to kill humans. 

                It also explained why he had hit her, Rogue mused. It had been that act which pushed her the most towards her decision to let Carol take over. She needed to get Remy back, and without Carol, she was powerless to do so. 

                But ever since, Rogue's dreams had been haunted by the death, blood, and gore that she had caused while under Carol's influence. She remembered seeing the blood on her hands, and the bodies of the people. Sitting in a chair next to Remy's bed, Rogue held her head in her hands and cried.

                                                                               * * *

                It took a couple days longer for Remy to be normal again. The Professor explained to both him and Rogue they would have to attend three therapy sessions a week, and their schooling would be continued here at the mansion. They were, essentially, under house arrest. If they were needed in an emergency he would allow them to go out with the team, but other than that, they were to stay on the premises until he pronounced them mentally sound and ready to rejoin normal society. 

                He didn't know when that would be. It had to be long enough to appease the politicians who'd allowed him this, and hopefully long enough for the public to forget about what happened. It could be awhile. When he was finished he said therapy was to begin tomorrow, and then excused them from his office. 

                Remy smiled at Rogue once they were out and asked, "Wan' ta go somewhere ta talk, p'tite?"

                Rogue nodded absent mindedly, face empty and drained. How did this ever happen? She tried to think, tracing back through the events that led up to now. The Friends of Humanity. It caused her fear just to think that there was a group of people who hated her with no hesitation, and were all too ready to do what Carol had done to them.. 

                And why had she let her loose? It seemed like the only choice at the time, but the X Men had shown up not long after Carol let her resurface. Maybe if she hadn't, they would have taken care of it, and she wouldn't be on house arrest as a 'mentally disturbed' mutant. But no. She'd done it to get Remy back, and here he was. She should have nothing to regret. She extended her arm as they walked, taking his hand in hers.

                Remy squeezed her hand encouragingly - once more wearing gloves, a long sleeved shirt, jeans, and boots - and led her toward his room. Kitty, surprisingly, was leaning against his door, and grinned at the sight of them holding hands. Rogue going after Remy had been all the proof she thought she'd needed, and of course the rumors had spread like wildfire. 

                Remy had all ready been ribbed and congratulated, so he made no move to let go of Rogue's hand. 

                "It's like, good to see you guys back and healthy! And together!" She squealed with delight and gave them each a quick hug. "Why didn't you ever tell me, Rogue?"

                Rogue was pulled from her reverie by Kitty's hug, forcing a smile.

                "Ah guess it had somethin' ta do with the fact that Rahne and Ronnie already told me how happy they were. But ya wouldn't know anythin' about that, would ya.."

                Kitty just grinned and shrugged.

                "Whatever, it's been totally obvious for the longest time. Just didn't have any, like, proof, you know?" Kitty's smile faded slightly as she remembered Rogue boarding the Blackbird, bloodied and weak. "Are you feeling okay now?"

                Rogue hesitated at her question confusedly before nodding head dumbly. 

                "Yeah, Ah'm fine."

                Kitty nodded, seeming appeased for the moment. No doubt the couple wanted to be alone. She gave them another bright smile before turning to walk down the hall.

                "I'll talk to you guys later! And don't be later for dinner, I'm cooking tonight!"

                Remy chuckled and opened the door to his room, then ushered Rogue in and followed, the door closed behind him. 

                "Remy don' t'ink he'll be goin ta dinner tonight..." He chuckled again and sighed, dropping into one of his chairs. He'd missed his room. Well, for the times he'd been fully conscious, anyway, and not pumped full of drugs. "Look, chere, Remy have ta say some t'ings..."

                Rogue said nothing, merely crossed the room to sit on the edge of his bed. She clasped her hands in her lap, suddenly finding them very interesting. What could he possibly have to say after all that had happened?

                He took a deep breath and sighed. 

                "Well... Remy real sorry dat he..." He gulped. "Dat he hit yo'... He really didn' mean ta, chere... Yo' have ta believe Remy..." He bit his bottom lip quickly and blinked back tears. "An' he really thankful dat yo' save him... But he sorry he got yo' inta dat, an' made yo' do dat, even fo' him... He make a big mess of t'ings, chere..." He looked down. "He undahstand if yo' don' wan' ta be wit' Remy anymo'... He been pretty bad ta yo'..."

                Rogue immediately felt the tears welling up as soon as he started speaking. She hated crying, so why couldn't she stop? She shook her head, voice small.

                "Ya didn't get me into anythin'. Logan told me ta stay behind, but Ah followed anyway. Ah did it to myself. And Ah let Carol out myself, and ya here now, so Ah have nothin' ta regret." Her voice was shaking, but determined, as if trying to convince herself that all those bodies didn't matter. "And ya gotta stop blamin' yaself for things ya didn't do.. It doesn't help anyone."

                Remy sighed and looked over at her, and saw her tears. He got up and went to sit beside her on the bed, his arms embracing her. He did his best to comfort her, but it was hard... Her tears had triggered his own, so all he could do was hold her as close as he could and never let go. She had done it all for him, given up a part of herself again just so he would be safe... The least he could do was hold her.

                Rogue buried her face in his shirt, rocking slightly. She was crying, and it made her feel pitiful and weak and ridiculous. She hated that feeling. Remy was crying to, and something about that made her feel slightly less guilty. She wrapped her arms around his waist, feeling worse now more than ever that she wasn't able to touch him. 

                                                                             * * *

                Remy walked into Xaviers office and sat in one of the nice leather chairs. There was a couch - well, really it was a lounge chair - but Remy just didn't feel like he could actually lay down and do this. Charles Xavier smiled calmly and steepled his fingers. "Good afternoon, Remy. I hope you're feeling all right, considering the fact that you can't go out." 

                Remy shrugged. "Remy fine... He can find t'ings around heah ta do." Charles nodded. 

                "That's good... Now, I want you to relax. Don't feel pressured about anything. We can go as slowly as you want. What's important is that we help you sort out any problems you may have." Xavier let that sink in for a moment before he continued, "If there is anything that jumps out, please, feel free to bring it up when you're comfortable." 

                Remy nodded and swallowed. Where to start, really? 

                "Well... Remy guess he got de usual orphan problems... He don' really wondah why dey did it, his eyes make dat clear enough... Remy can fo'give dem fo' dat, he sho' dat dey was scared... He jus' wish he could meet dem, sometimes, ta sho' dat he weren't no demon or nuttin." 

                Charles nodded slowly before asking calmly, "Do you know they actually thought you were a demon, rather than just not understanding, or are you shifting that belief from some other source?" 

                Remy blinked, then thought for a moment. He nodded and sighed, "De orphanage... when he was four, he accidently hurt anothah boy, jus' a li'l fight like boys do, yo' know? But de nuns, dey was lookin' fo' an excuse ta kick Remy out, and dat was wha' dey got... Dey t'ought he was a demon." 

                Charles nodded again. "How does that make you feel, Remy? Please, think about it for a moment." 

                Remy did... He thought for a few minutes. He wasn't really used to examining his feelings. "Umm... Remy feel a li'l angry... He... He guess dat he feel... rejected mo'. Like dey was kickin' him away from havin' a normal life." 

                Charles leaned back in his wheelchair and thought for a moment. "A normal life... You've had a life, though, and I'm sure it's been far from normal... Would you like to elaborate about how your life became not normal?" 

                Remy sighed and pulled out a pack of cards he promptly began to shuffle, and of course he watched them closely. 

                "Da's when Remy's Pa find him... He was a big cheese in 'Nawlins... Ran de whole T'ieves' Guild... Remy was raised dere, learnin' ta pick pockets, run scams... steal cars... pick locks... an' his Pa teach him de fine points of bein' a con artist. Course, he also learn how ta fight, and survive, cause de Assassin's Guild try ta kill us if we get on deir territory..." 

                Charles nodded along through the story. "That leads us to something else, doesn't it, Remy? I don't want to move on to that just yet, though. I want you to spend some reflection time on what we've brought up. Think on it, and you can tell me anything that comes to mind you'd like to get off your chest. We just want to move one step at a time." 

                Remy nodded and for the rest of the session he ran through his childhood with a fine toothed comb...

                Rogue lay back on the Professor's shrink couch, as she called it. Usually during these sessions she wanted to just get it over with, and she talked about superficial things just to pass the time. She wasn't ready to open up, until now. So she got right to the point.

                "Ah keep havin' these dreams."

                Xavier's voice was calm and soothing, as usual. "What kind of dreams?"

                "Nightmares, really.. Ah know they're from Carol, when she had my body."

                "And are they her memories?"

                "Ah don't know. Sometimes Ah see myself, and sometimes it's me doin' it, but.. Ah can see myself, doin' these things.."

                "Take your time, think carefully."

                "Yeah.." She swallowed the lump rising in her throat. "Well Ah see her attackin' my friends.. Scott and Kurt and Jean. Ah know that happened, but Ah see myself hurtin' Kitty and Evan and Remy.. Ah don't know what that means, Ah don't want ta hurt them."

                "It sounds like these dreams are based on your fears, as well as Carol's memories. Does anything else occur?"

                Rogue hesitated before she spoke again, voice heavy. "Ah see myself killin' those people." There was a long silence. "Ah thought that if Ah let her take over just until we were free, Ah could control her.. Ah offered her revenge, but Ah didn't think.." Her voice became choked.

                "It's alright, Rogue. You don't have to continue."

                Rogue sat up, determined not to cry again. It only made her feel worse. "But Ah can't make these dreams go away! Ah.. regret havin' done it." It felt terrible to say. She had done it to save Remy, and she regretted it? "Ah thought it was the right thing ta do, but all those people.."

                Xavier sighed. "You made a decision and acted upon it. You have no reason to regret that. But you couldn't have foreseen how things would turned out. Carol, not you, committed those acts."

Rogue nodded faintly. It had become difficult to distinguish between herself and Carol, even though the girl was dormant. 

                "I think that's enough for today, Rogue. Remember what I've said, and we can talk about this another day." 

                Rogue nodded and got to her feet, feeling slightly more comforted than when she'd started. At least the Professor knew, and understood. She trusted him, and the thought made her feel slightly alone in the ordeal.


	36. Chapter 34: Go Fish

                Chapter 34: Go Fish

                Remy and Rogue sat on a blanket under a tree, the leaves all in beautiful autumn colors. Then sun was low in the sky, but it wasn't yet sunset. Everything looked magical, like it always does in fall. They were playing cards, just Go Fish, since Remy didn't know how to cheat at Go Fish - and Rogue thought that maybe he just couldn't help it after losing seven hands of Baseball in a row. Remy looked over his cards and sighed. 

                "Yo' have any eights, p'tite?"

                Rogue smirked, peering over her hand. 

                "Well, maybe.. or maybe not."

                The October air had a distinct chill to it, and it was this time of year that Rogue didn't feel as ridiculous having all of her covering. She wore dark grey pants with a black mini skirt over them, and a long sleeved black shirt depicting a cat in a microwave, subtitled 'Goodbye, Kitty...'. Kitty, her roommate, occasionally took offense to this. The ensemble was completed with thin maroon gloves.

                "Go fish."

                Remy sighed as he drew another card. He'd switched back to his trench coat - and wearing t-shirts and jeans underneath, sans gloves, with the same boots as always - as his other style of dressing just... didn't fit his personality, at least he thought so. The coat always looked so good. He leaned back against the trunk of the tree and grinned, then waited for her to ask for cards.

                Rogue scanned her hand quickly.

                "Do ya have any threes?"

                She had noted his change in dress back to his normal clothes, and was grateful for it. The long sleeves and gloves weren't for him. She glanced up at him again.

                "So have ya listened ta the news lately?"

                Remy's grin fell and he snorted as he tossed the three three's from his hand over to her. They weren't charged, of course. 

                "I's hahd ta tell wha' yo' watchin on Remy's TV... He ain' got good reception at all... An' dey nevah wan' ta watch nuttin' serious on de big TV unless de Prafessah make dem." He shrugged and waited for her next request.

                She smirked victoriously, gathering up the cards.

                "The President vetoed the Registration Act. The vote was near unanimous in both houses, but Ah guess the President wasn't too happy with the incident at the Friends of Humanity facility. Got any jacks?"

                She regretted having mentioned that, but decided the sooner she was able to talk about it plainly, the sooner the dreams might go away.

                Remy smiled and shook his head. 

                "Go fish." 

                He looked up at her to make sure she was okay, before he spoke. 

                "Yea, dat wasn't a good one fo' dem... De Prafessah tell me dat he have ta make reports every now an' den, an' dat dey is very pleased wit' him. Dey givin' him a grant, an' he say he gonna put some of de money inta checkin' accounts ta ensure our 'stable futures'. Yo' got any... Twos?"

                Rogue frowned as she drew a card, only to give up another. She considered for a moment. The Professor hadn't told her that. 

                "That's awful nice of him.." She looked at him curiously. "Ever thought what ya wanna do in the future? Ya know, after all this. Aces?"

                He chuckled and shook his head. 

                "Yo' fo'gettin de rule, chere... Remy get ta ask anothah one fo' gettin' it right... Now he know jus' wha' ta ask fo', too... Aces?" Remy grinned at his craftiness, though he hadn't really done anything. "Nah, Remy usually live by de moment, ain' much one ta plan ahead."

                Rogue found herself getting too caught up in thinking on other matters than the game, giving up her two aces begrudingly. 

                "Damn. So ya haven't given it much thought?" She restrained herself from asking for more cards.

                Remy laid down the set of four aces and sighed, looking over his hand. 

                "Umm... Any... Nines?" He shrugged, and didn't really expect her to have any, as he only had one himself. "Nah, he nevah really did. Why yo' askin, p'tite? Yo' t'ink bout yo' future a lot, or even at all?"

                Rogue shrugged back, keeping her eyes glued to her hand.

                "Go fish. Sometimes Ah think about it, but not lately. Ah remember thinkin' about it a lot when Ah was young." 

                Things weren't as uncertain then as they were now, and it was easier to plan a future. Especially as a child.

                Remy took a card and held back a chuckled. 

                "Was yo' one of dose li'l girls dat dress up fo' make-believe tea pahty's an' weddin's ta yo' teddy bears an' de like?" He grinned at her, and seeing that she just kept her eyes on her hand, he tossed the cards down and crawled over. He pushed her hand down and just grinned at her. "Well?" This could be good.

                Rogue's cheeks flushed a bit as she thought about it. She remembered her room back home. The walls were filled with stuffed animals and dolls, with her fair share of water guns and GI Joes that she played with David. At one point there was a pink rug. 

                "Well not *exactly*.. Ah was sort of a tomboy, but Ah had dolls and everythin'.. But Ah spent most of my time tryin' ta rescue 'em from David. He hated that stuff." 

                She remembered falling out of a tree, where he'd placed a stuffed unicorn in a precarious branch. He cried for three days afterwards.

                "Is dat so?" 

                He just laid down on the cards, rolled onto his back, and put his head in her lap. Remy had grown tired of Go Fish... it really just wasn't his game. 

                "Why don' yo' tell Remy mo'... I's a nice day fo' jus' layin around an' talkin, aftah all..."

                Rogue smiled and leaned back on one hand, the other running through his hair. She told him all about her childhood in Mississippi, and it seemed picture perfect. About how once she built a raft and tried to ride down the river, pretending she was Mark Twain. She hadn't made it very far before the raft sank. And how she and David traded pranks and practical jokes, retelling how once he'd tried to burn her hair once when she was sleeping in the grass. It had been completely brown back then. Her life had been normal and happy, but she didn't mention what happened after she discovered her powers. 

                The sun had almost set completely, and Rogue glanced up at the leaves bathed in golden light, the sky fading from orange and red into a faint purple.

                Remy took her hands in his and slowly started to kiss each of her gloved fingers. It wasn't much, really, but he just couldn't stand not touching her at all. He just knew not to do it skin-to-skin. 

                "Dat's real nice, p'tite... sounds wondahful..."

                Rogue sighed a little as he did this, trying not to think about it.

                "Yeah, it was.. Ah remember my plan was ta grow up, marry my best friend, and have two kids, a dog, and a snake. Ah don't know why Ah wanted a snake..."

                She smiled a little at the memory. If she'd never become a mutant, she may very well have carried out that plan. But she didn't regret where she was now. The only thing about being a mutant that she regretted was the obvious. Though now the regret included not being able to touch Remy, let alone be touched.

                "It was silly, really."

                Remy chuckled and shook his head, her hands still held in his as he looked up at her. 

                "Nah, ain' silly at all... Yo' jus gonna have ta make a li'l change ta dat... Yo' gotta put Remy in de male lead." 

                He grinned up at her and squeezed her hands. She looked so beautiful in light of a fall sunset.

                She gave a small laugh, squeezing his hand in return before moving it up to play with his hair again. It had become a favorite pastime. The world suddenly seemed less unforgiving, and the colors of fall became more vibrant, and the reddish leaves turned crimson in the sunset rays, glowing like sometimes his eyes did.


	37. Chapter 35: Happy Halloween

                Chapter 35: Happy Halloween

                "Come on, Rogue! Everyone's already down there!"

                "Just one second!" Rogue leaned into the mirror, pursing her lips as she applied a dark shade of makeup. 

                It was Halloween, and the students of Xavier's institute were looking forward to tonight's party. Kitty's Mardi Gras party for Remy's birthday had been a hit, so the girl had taken every opportunity to throw one. She'd even tried throwing one for Logan's birthday, but as one can imagine, that didn't go over too well with the old man. 

                Today, the mansion hallways were decorated with black and orange streamers, and the ballroom was once again illuminated with appropriately colored lights and jack-o-lanterns. Skeletons and bats hung in the doorways, and one student named Peter - whose mutation involved producing spider silk - even created large webs in the corners of the room. Unfortunately, he'd also taken to spraying web at other students, too. 

                Kitty had dressed up as a cat. Who saw that one coming? She wore a pink leotard with fluffy white tails and ears, and white tights. Rogue wasn't sure what to do.. People joked that she dressed as if it were Halloween all year round. So, she opted for the 'Spiderella' look. She wore a mid length black skirt which tapered at the back, with a black shirt with a diving neckline, and it exposed some of her midriff. The collar was upturned for a Dracula effect. Underneath it all she wore body tights, fishnets that stretched not only across her legs, but her torso and arms too. Ankh earrings and a spider pendant finished off the look.

                "Rogue!"

                "OKAY!"

                Adding the final touches to her dark makeup, Rogue followed the girl downstairs, where Rhyth was once again spinning.

                Remy leaned against a wall in a very nice three-piece suit, his hair slicked back, and he even had two cigars tucked in his breast pocket. Logan had sold them to him at a largely inflated price. Remy was 18, but the law of supply and demand just left him with the short end of the stick. He laughed with Bobby and Evan as he waited for Rogue to join the party.

                The two girls finally emerged, walking down the steps. The crowd took this as a sign that the party would now officially begin, now that the coordinator had arrived. Kitty was intercepted by her usual gaggle, and Rogue made her way across the dance floor to where Remy was. Bobby and Evan didn't seem very surprised in her costume, but they thought it was daring to be sure. Rogue looked Remy up and down.

                "What are ya supposed ta be? Gigolo Ken?"

                Remy chuckled and looked at Bobby and Evan. 

                "How droll, hm? Remy's a rich yankee fat cat, 'course, he all full of self importance an' has tons of money from his Wallstreet ventures. I's all very fascinatin, of course." 

                The other two couldn't hold back a few small laughs at his very manner. It was hard to imagine the boy from the bayou as a businessman.

                Rogue smirked, walking forward to straighten his lapel.

                "Ah'm sure it is." 

                She glanced away from him to look around at the job Kitty had done. The refreshments included a radioactive shade of green punch, Halloween shaped cookies, and a huge bowl of candy. The girl sure knew how to tickle Rogue's sweet tooth. At the head of the dance floor, Rhyth spun a remix of the Halloween classic 'the Monster Mash'.

                Remy smiled and let her have at it... He really didn't know what to do, dressed all fancy like this. He was sure anyone knew better than he did. 

                "Say, chere, how would yo' like ta go get Remy a glass of punch, hm? He really appreciate it if yo' did..." He looked her over as he asked, then gave a nod and his best pleading look.

                Rogue gave him a quizzical look before shrugging.

                "Sure." 

                She gave a last glance at Bobby and Evan before turning and walking away. She passed Jean and Scott on her way, who seemed to have gotten back together. There was really no real reason that kept them apart, especially since Scott's plan as using Rogue as a rebound girl were utterly crushed when she and Remy were known publicly as an item. Rogue returned shortly, handing Remy a cup of the strange green punch and sipping one of her own.

                Remy smiled and took it gratefully. 

                "T'ank yo', chere... Remy was gettin' real t'irsty... unlike yo' an' de hostess ovah dere, de rest of us been waitin down heah fo' awhile." 

                He sipped the punch and Bobby nodded. "Yea, you need to tell Kitty not to spend so much time getting ready. You shouldn't be late to your own party, after all."

                Rogue grinned sheepishly, hiding it by taking another sip of her punch. She glanced up as she heard the beginning of Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'.

                "Well Ah sorta held her up a little.. But don't blame me, Ah told her ta go on ahead. She wasn't havin' it though." She gestured appreciatively around at the party. "Maybe she'll grow up ta be a professional, a weddin' planner or somethin'. She's into the sappy stuff like that."

                As if on cue, a slight breeze passed around the group, and a cocky voice issued from next to Rogue.

                "Then maybe she can plan our wedding, Roguey."

                Pietro Maximoff smirked confidently at them, leaning one elbow on Rogue's shoulder. He wore his usual street clothes, unnecessarily tight jeans with a black tee shirt that clung snugly to his musculature. His silver-white was slicked back, as always. It must be for the aerodynamics.

                Behind them, Kitty could be seen ushering in Lance, the only member of the Brotherhood that had actually been invited. Todd Tolanski hopped in behind them, helping himself to the webbing on the ceilings.

                Remy looked at Pietro, then cleared his throat. 

                "Remy gonna give yo' two seconds - an' dat should be plenty fo' yo' - ta step back an' keep yo' hands ta ya'self like a propah gentlemen." 

                He pulled out one of his cards and flipped it between his fingers, smiling amiably.

                Pietro quirked one silver brow at the Cajun, grinning curiously. That sounded like a challenge.

                "I'm sure she likes it. We go way back, don't we Roguey?"

                He looked down at her with the most arrogant smile she'd ever seen him wear. She didn't respond, instead stepping to the side to remove herself from him. 

                "And what are ya supposed ta be, a New Kid on the Block?"

                "I'm supposed to be the man of your dreams, babe. Why aren't you wearing a costume?"

                He couldn't help but grin at his own joke, looking her up and down.

                Remy slid his arm around Rogue's shoulder and pulled her over to him. The Cajun didn't the Brotherhood in the first place, and he especially didn't like Pietro cozying up with his girl. 

                "Yo' bettah look again, dere, boy-o, cause yo' jus' look like a foo' from where Remy standin'." Bobby and Evan laughed at that. They were ready for the Brotherhood to come at them as well.

                Pietro's chin tilted upwards and he crossed his arms, tapping his foot rapidly with another smirk. 

                "Oh, I didn't know you were goin' with the Cajun, Roguey. How do you guys even fool around?" The speedster blurred from sight, reappearing behind Remy and Rogue, patting Remy's shoulder with a mocking sympathetic expression. "Hang in there, Hand Solo." 

                And with that, he zipped away to bother someone else. Rogue was fuming.

                Remy chuckled at that, and he tightened his arm around Rogue. He knew she was far more likely to go and try to start a fight than he was, so he had to keep her on a tight leash. He leaned over and whispered to her, just to make sure. 

                "Don' worry, chere, he jus' jealous dat yo' chose Remy ovah him..."

                Rogue kept her eyes locked on Pietro, who could be seen zipping throughout the room from person to person, or rather, girl to girl, shooting him death glares. The physical aspect of her and Remy's relationship was a sensitive subject to begin with. Rogue finally tore her glare away when Remy spoke, and she smirked up at him.

                "As if Ah had a choice."

                Remy smiled and led her over to a few chairs. He sat her down, then sat down next to her as he finished off his punch. He tossed the cup into the trash and pulled another chair over to use as a foot rest. 

                "Say, chere, yo' been in dose therapy sessions too... Do yo' evah talk 'bout us wit' de Prafessah?"

                Rogue sat, looking down into her strange green punch. She'd only had a handful of sessions with the Professor so far, and she'd mostly talked about Carol. There were other things on her mind, too, including her and Remy, but she found it hard to concentrate on anything else while she kept having these dreams.

                "Well, no.. There's some other stuff we've been talkin' about lately." She looked up at him. "Why, have you?"

                He shrugged. He hadn't really touched on the subject much. Then again, the only time he'd gone in depth about anything had been his childhood. The rest he just seemed to skim over and keep attention away from it... or the Professor just didn't ask. 

                "Naw... Remy ain' bothahed by it, yo' know?"

                Rogue glanced away at a passing six foot tall Cookie Monster, who was being led by Frankenstein. What Remy said came as a kind of relief, but she couldn't help but think it odd. She knew if she had given the same answer, it wouldn't be entirely true. How could he not be at least a little bothered by the touching issue? Granted, she didn't lose sleep over it. She was too busy losing it to something else.

                "Ya aren't?"

                Remy shook his head. 

                "Naw... Every now an' den he get de urge, but he can still remembah... An' besides, Remy still care fo' yo', so he ain' gonna let a li'l t'ing like dat get him down." 

                He smiled at her, sincerely. He wanted her to know that he wasn't conning her or anything. He was trying to be serious.

                Rogue smiled and looked back down, unable to hold his gaze for too long without tearing up from the sweetness of it all. She reached a glove hand to hold his, and across the room, Quicksilver sneered.

                                                                                      * * *

                Meanwhile, Wolverine stepped into the Professor's office. Xavier glanced up, pausing for a moment.

                "It's been quite some time."

                Wolverine's eyes flashed yellow, and his form slowly unraveled into blue skin and red hair.

                "Sharp as ever, Charles."

                Xavier's gaze was calm and in control; he had nothing to fear from her here. "And to what do I owe this visit?"

                "I want to know who tried to kill me three months ago, and why." She could tell easily that Rogue had not been herself, and didn't possess the kind of power she had wielded. 

                Xavier nodded with a sigh. "It was a woman named Carol Danvers. They had Rogue absorb her completely during the experimentation for mutant soldiers. To be plain, they planned on using Rogue's powers, along with Carol's powers and espionage abilities, to assassinate both humans and mutants, while at the same time increasing her abilities. 

                "Carol was actually working with Trask on the project before he betrayed her, and now she has ideas of her own. She's determined to exact her revenge, killing other mutants and building up an arsenal of powers to become unstoppable. I trust you've learned of Eric's alliance with her, and no doubt you were his first target. Shape changing would be an invaluable asset for her."

                Mystique's eyes narrowed, making no effort to mask her anger. 

                "And now Magneto is probably planning on freeing his ally. We both know he'll just want to use her like Weapon X did. Charles, you can't let Rogue outside of the institute."

                Xavier clasped his hands together, seeming troubled.

                "As of now, she and Gambit are restricted to the grounds until they have completed their year of therapy, as ordained by the government. I can't stop her from leaving after that, Raven. We can't simply keep her locked up forever."

                Mystique rose, morphing back into Logan as she turned to leave.

                "Then you'll be abandoning her to them. Once they have the chance, they'll find a way to take her, or set Danvers loose once again. Until you can find a better solution, I suggest you take my advice." 

                A muscle in her jaw flinched, and she left Xavier to ponder this new dilemma.


	38. Chapter 36: Some More Therapy

                Chapter 36: Some More Therapy

                Remy sighed as he sat down with Professor Charles Xavier once again. He really didn't like these therapy sessions, but if he ever wanted to get out of this place again... "Well, Prafessah, Remy had somet'in on his mind since de Pahty..."

                Xavier nodded. "Please, Remy, continue."

                The Cajun shrugged and looked at his hands. "Well, Remy worried 'bout Rogue... He t'ink maybe she got some problems wit'.. Well, yo' know... He jus don' know wha' ta do 'bout it." He looked up at the Professor for a moment before he pulled out his cards to shuffle them like he did every session.

                "So you're feeling... inadequate when it comes to fulfilling what you think are Rogue's needs?" Charles arched a brow.

                Remy nodded slowly as he thought about it. "Yea... Dat pretty much right... He jus' don' know how ta make her feel bettah..." 

                He sighed. The session slowly drifted away from their relationship because of Remy just wanting to get away from the subject. He recounted some events when he stopped, as they were coming to the point in his life where he became engaged to Belladonna. After a slight hesitation he continued, and described their relationship.

                Xavier had some insight, wondering if Remy were perhaps using his relationship with Belladonna as a measurement for his relationship with Rogue. Of course, it wasn't, Remy's problems were based elsewhere. In the end a few ghosts had been chased from Remy's closet, though he still didn't talk about killing Belladonna's brother... that would wait for another time.

                Rogue spent her next few sessions talking about mundane things; her childhood, her studies and interests, and her opinions on life in general. By this time she'd been hesitant to talk about her situation with Carol.. She became convinced that nothing she could talk about with the Professor would make the dreams go away, and there were things she was sure he'd tell her about Carol that she didn't want to know. 

                Today, though, still trying to steer clear of Carol and Trask, Magneto, the FoH and other various people that seemed to have it in for her, Rogue decided to talk about something nearly as troubling.

                "Ah.. Ah've been thinkin' about how Remy must about everythin'."

                "Everything?"

                "Well, everythin' that's been happenin', and.. you know." He nodded, so she continued. "He keeps sayin' he doesn't mind, but.. Ah can't stand the thought of him havin' ta miss out on somethin' like that, just 'cause he's stuck ta me."

                "And do you mind?"

                "Sometimes it's hard, but Ah think Ah could be all right about it. Mostly Ah regret that he can't. Ah don't want him ta put himself through what Ah have."

                Xavier mused for a few moments, thinking that it would have been simpler for them to talk about it themselves, and avoid the middle man. They had the same types of worries, after all. 

                "I think Remy has considered his choices very carefully, and has chosen what he wants the most. And he is with you."

                Rogue sighed, and decided to take the conversation in a different direction. She didn't dare ask about the possibility that one day she'd be able to control her powers - they'd been over that many times before, even before they were made to attend therapy. Remy was just another reason for her to want it, but the uncertain answers remained the same. But since Carol, Rogue feared that the Professor would tell her it had become an impossibility. If that were true, she wasn't sure how she'd be able to cope with their relationship.


	39. Chapter 37: One Year Together

                Chapter 37: One Year Together

                Christmas came and went, the cold peaking around Valentine's Day, and finally thawing around mid March. Public school ended, and the students of Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters were filled once again with bored crowds of pool-going children. 

                Rogue and Remy were still restricted to the grounds while the government monitored their 'progress', and the two awaited the day that they'd be set free. The house arrest left Rogue more generally agitated and annoyed at certain people than usual. 

                Bitterly, she mused that she must now what it felt like for Carol to be trapped within her mind. Remy had become her only distraction from the restlessness she felt, but that in itself was filled with a tension all its own.

                Finally the day of their one year anniversary came about, and Remy was prepared. Around 6 pm he led Rogue out onto the school grounds, and headed for the spot where he had his first picnic with her. 

                "Yo' gonna like dis, chere, Remy sho' dat yo' will..." 

                He grinned and looked down at her, obviously anxious to show her his surprise.

                Rogue looked around at the as they neared place they'd shared their first kiss, or series of kisses. The last ones, too. It was a hot summer evening, and Rogue wore a long dark green skirt, a black tank top with a sheer black shirt that covered her arms, and black gloves. She walked alongside Remy, holding his hand, and looked up at him.

                "Come on, ya can't keep me waitin'."

                Remy chuckled and shook his head. 

                "Well de wait is ovah cause we heah, p'tite..." As they rounded the bushes in the dieing light the scene looked just beautiful. There were candles set all around the blanket, and a bottle of wine, two glasses, and a bucket of ice sat in the middle. "Remy used some of his connections ta get yo' a real special gift..."

                Rogue froze as she took in the sight, heart melting. The last rays from the sunset cast a warm orange glow about the scene, and the candle light had just begun to shine white against the shadows of the trees. It was picture perfect. She squeezed his hand, wishing now more than ever that she were able to thank him more personally.

                "It's so sweet, Remy. Ah really don't deserve ya." Her smile turned into a faint smirk as she noted the wine. "Although Ah dunno if Logan or the Professah would approve of underage drinkin'." And would that stop her? Absolutely not.

                Remy shrugged and led her onto the blanket. 

                "We all ready undah arrest, chere, Remy don' t'ink it mattah none." He sat her down, then sat with her, and grinned. "Remy also t'ought, fo' nostalgia, he recreate our first date too..." He pulled her gloves off for her and tossed them onto the blanket, and took her hands in his. "Leech didn' mind any."

                Rogue looked at her hands in his, a smile spreading slowly across her face. She knew what that meant, but thought this time she might practice a little self control over her shock and anxiety. But that didn't mean she was about to practice self control in any other areas. 

                Leaning forward, Rogue claimed his lips before he had any chance to avoid it, breaking the kiss shortly thereafter just as the pent up desires she'd been holding in for a year began to take over. No use wasting it, she was determined to make it last. 

                Remy smiled and reached up to caress her cheek. 

                "Remy sho' miss dat chere... But it was worth de wait..." He let her go to pick up the two wine glasses and filled them with the lovely blush wine that smelled just delicious. He handed one of the glasses to her, and held his own up. "A toast, ta yo', chere."

                She smiled and shook her head lightly, holding hers up in turn.

                "Ta us." 

                Clinking glasses, Rogue tilted hers back slightly to taste the wine. She'd had it before, as a girl during Christmas and other occasions, and she'd never had a real taste for it. But now, perhaps helped by the romantic mood of the setting and way the fading light made Remy's skin glow, it tasted sweet and full. It warmed her from the inside out as it went down. She glanced at the glass appreciatively.

                "Where did ya manage ta find it?" Alcohol had no place in a school.

                Remy chuckled as he sipped his own glass, then put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to watch the sunset. 

                "Ah, de Morlocks is helpful fo' mo' den yo' know, chere... An' dey have ways of talkin' dat would confuse even de Prafessah's telepathic ol' brain."

                Rogue grinned and leaned into him, delighted at the smallest brush of skin and the slightest feather touch. She felt freer, despite the long months of confinement. There was something she had to do, and she took a sip of wine to soothe the impending nerves. Releasing his free hand from hers, she reached into her pocket, fingers grasping a small object. 

                "Hey, Ah got ya somethin'.. It's nothin' much, but Ah thought ya might appreciate it."

                Remy blinked. 

                "Aww, chere, yo' didn' have ta do dat..." 

                He reached out and caressed her fingers a bit, curious about what lay beneath. He kissed the top of her head and waited, feeling perfectly... well, perfect to be there with her, able to touch her, acting like any normal couple might. He really didn't mind their relationship, it just made these moments all the more special.

                Rogue's smiled faded a bit into a more serious expression as she pressed the object into his hand. It was a rectangular plate of silver on a chain, roughly the size of a dog tag. On the front, there embossed were three rings overlapping side by side, and nothing more. It was a symbol of a bond, support, and above all, unity and oneness. On the reverse side of the plate, three lines were engraved in a plain script:

                            centeriWhen you are beside me,

                            I feel that my self

                            has returned to myself./i/center

                It said everything that needed to be said, so Rogue remained silent.

                Remy read the inscription then squeezed it in his hand. He put it into his pocket gently, then turned to her and leaned her back a bit. With a soft smile, eyes moist with tears, he gives her a deep, soulful kiss that poured all of the emotion and want from the past year into that one, lovely moment.

                Rogue leaned back, returning the kiss with no less passion as she brought her hands up to caress the sides of his face. Whenever he was with her, especially now, nothing else mattered. Trask, the Friends of Humanity; even Carol was completely forgotten. The bits of personality she'd lost and gained over time, which made her question what parts of her identity truly belong to her, were swept away, and once again she felt.. singular.

                Remy finally broke the kiss with a soft sigh and looked into her eyes for a long moment, then he chuckled and pulled her up with him. 

                "Don' wan' dis wine ta go ta waste, chere... Remy gotta get yo' all liqoured up fo' de rest of his plan ta work." He grinned, joking of course, and picked up his wine to sip at it. "Mmm... Remy really love yo' present, chere... He hope yo' like his too, dough his ain' as sweet an lovely as yo's."

                Rogue straightened and grinned at his joke, taking a long sip in response. Her heart was pounding, and her breath had quickened slightly. Why had made her so nervous? It was just Remy. 'Just'. The wine had become even more necessary. She smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder, free hand coming up to brush against his neck and jaw.

                "There's nothin' Ah'd want more than this.. It's the sweetest, loveliest thing anyone's ever done for me."

                Remy smiled and sighed happily. He set his glass down, then took a deep breath and let it out slowly. With that done he stood and held a hand down toward her, then glanced out at the sunset. This was the perfect moment. All the deep reds, purples, yellows, oranges... Beautiful. Just right. Then he looked back at her and gave his most charming smile.

                Rogue stood and gazed dreamily out over the horizon, taking his hand. She remembered the last time they were here together; she'd been convinced it was a dream. Now was no different, though this time she was less inclined to believe it. There was no way she'd allow herself to deny the realness. She looked back up at Remy, smiling almost amusedly at him. 

                "And what's that for?"

                Remy held a finger up to her lips to quiet her, then slid his hand down her cheek, and around to the back of her neck. His other arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her to him. He leaned in, looked right into her eyes, and whispered three little words. 

                "Je vous aime." 

                With that he kissed her again, just as deeply as before, if not more-so.

                Her eyes drifted closed, letting the year's worth of unquenched passion surge forth, stopping only for breath. Her hands roamed across his shoulders before coming up to his neck, savoring the soft feel of his skin. 

                She wondered if this was what it was like to be normal, having the pleasure to kiss your loved one whenever you want. No, this was different. No one kiss between a normal couple could be as special or as heartfelt as this. 

                When he was finally able to pull his lips from hers he panted and looked at her, a hand coming to her cheek, his face flushed. 

                "Remy wait so long ta tell yo' dat, p'tite... He wan'ed ta wait fo' de perfect moment... He finally find it..." 

                He kissed her lips quickly, then his lips wandered, down her cheek, her jawline, and to the soft flesh of her neck.

                She tilted her head back, a shiver running through her body. Her breath came in short gasps, and her skin was hot to the touch. Rogue barely could find the sense of mind to speak, and her voice was a small whisper.

                "Ah love you..."

                With the words came the burning sting of tears. Her entire mutant existence was set up around avoiding this exact situation. And now, for the life of her, she could never imagine giving it up. Why had she denied herself for so long? It wasn't until him, who could make her feel whole again.

                Remy finally managed to pull himself away he grinned at her. 

                "We gonna have ta do dis every year, p'tite..." He picked up their glasses of wine and handed hers over. "Dis call fo' anothah toast, chere..." He raised his glass, the last rays of sunlight sparkling in the wine. "Dis one... To love..."

                Rogue steadied her breath and took the glass in her hand, smiling back. The tiny note rang out as she touched her glass gently to his, then drank deeply. She wasn't sure if it was the wine or the company that made her feel more calm and elated, but she decided that a combination of the two wasn't such a bad thing. Her eyes closed and she leaned in once more, whispering again. It just felt so right to say.

                "Ah love you."

                Remy finished off his glass and dropped it to the blanket, then wrapped his arms tightly around her as if he would never let go. She had been right in her gift, together they were one, whole. Everything was perfect as long as he had her there with him, even if they wouldn't be able to touch each other again after this. It didn't matter. Nothing matter but her. He kissed the top of her head and inhaled deeply, taking in her scent. 

                "Remy love yo' too, p'tite..."


	40. Chapter 38: Final Thoughts and an UnPres...

                Chapter 38: Final Thoughts and An UnPresidented Trip

                Rogue sat upright on the Professor's 'shrink couch', feeling slightly more in control and less vulnerable like she normally felt during such sessions. The other times she'd been waiting for the Professor to perhaps piece the parts of her that seemed broken up together again, and he never did. Maybe that wasn't his job. But whether it was her recent exchange with Remy, or something she'd affirmed with herself, she most definitely felt more together.

                "The dreams are startin' ta go away."

                "That's excellent. Have they become more infrequent?"

                "Yeah, Ah only have em every now and then, and they don't last long."

                "I'm glad to hear it, Rogue."

                "Professah?"

                "Yes, Rogue?"

                "Do ya think this will ever stop? With.. Carol, and.. ya know."

                Xavier thought, sighing mentally. "I think that the future can never be predetermined. But if you have strength, and faith, then only you can determine your own future."

                Rogue smiled faintly. It figured that he'd come out with something fortune cookie-ish. He was probably just trying to make her feel better, rather than telling her what she thought he was keeping to himself. 

                "Thanks."  She stood to go, the session now over, before Xavier stopped her.

                "Rogue, I want you to know that we do what's best for you."

                "Professah?"

                "We just want you to be safe. Take care of yourself, and please be careful."

                A chill went down Rogue's spine, but she couldn't explain why. With a half smile, she nodded.

                "Ah know. G'bye."

                She opened the door, and stepped out of his office.

                Remy shuffled his cards one last time, then smiled at the Professor. 

                "T'anks, Prafessah. Dis really help Remy wit' a few t'ings." They'd finally finished going over the few other traumatic experiences of his life, and really gotten to the bottom of some of Remy's trouble. For some reason, though, he still felt there was something that he should have done or said more on. Something unresolved. As far as Remy was concerned it could stay unresolved too.

                Xavier nodded and smiled. "It was my pleasure, Remy. You were a very cooperative patient. In three days I'm making my report and I feel very confident about recommending you and Rogue for release."

                That really made Remy's day and he grinned. Finally! He slipped his cards back into the pack and then stuffed them into a pocket. "T'anks again, Prafessah."

                "Remy, one more thing. While I'm confident you will be released from house arrest, I'd appreciate it if you and Rogue stayed around the mansion for awhile, as far as socialization goes. There are still a lot of people out there who aren't happy with mutants, and may become angered by the news of your release. Please, be careful about encounters with others."

                Remy blinked, then nodded.

                "Yea, Remy can do dat, Prafessah. He try not to get hisself in more trouble." He chuckled as he stood and left, and Xavier just shook his head slightly.

                                                                           * * *

Charles Xavier picked up the phone on his desk before half a ring was finished. 

                "Hello, this is Professor Xavier, how may I help you?" 

                The voice that came over the line was one he'd not expected. 

                "Charles! Terrance Mann here. My people have looked over your reports and we agree that these kids of yours are ready to be reintroduced into normal society. Just in time, too. We're going to take them along on a little publicity tour for my presidential campaign."

                Xavier frowned. "Congratulations on winning the bid, Mister Mann. However, I don't know if i-"

                "Now now, Charles, this is not a negotiable thing, here. We need to show concrete results. A limo will be there tommorow, around 3 p.m. or so. Have them ready." With that he hung up.

                Xavier sighed and hung up his phone, then rubbed his temples. This was not good. He just hoped they had enough security to keep Remy and Rogue safe. With that he left his library and went to find them and tell them the news.

                Later that evening Rogue was in her room, a suitcase open on her bed. She was pulling various undergarments and clothing from her drawers and closet, mind racing. She had been looking forward to the release, but she didn't think it'd include going on some tour with a presidential candidate. 

                The publicity, while meant to show that they were upright citizens, wouldn't earn her just positive attention, she feared. What if this opened up a whole new wave of crime against mutants? But, on the other hand, they were going to visit every major city around the country! What better activity for her after being released? 

                Torn between the pros and cons, Rogue tried not to think about it as she began to pack her sketchbook and CDs.

                Remy knocked and walked into her room with a smile. He figured she'd be packing, anyway, and he'd all ready seen Kitty out in the living room with the others. He wore his usual ensemble, and over one shoulder was a duffle bag that was pretty much the same color as Remy's coat. Obviously he was all ready packed. He sat down on Kitty's bed and watched Rogue as she packed. 

                "So, dis pretty excitin', huh p'tite? Gonna see de country..." He shifted slightly and there was a a little flash of light - Rogue's present to him, hanging around his neck on a thin chain. "Remy always wanted ta go out west." He chuckled and grinned. "Go see de beaches of California, an' all de stahs in Hollywood, hm?"

                Rogue smiled at him as he walked in, continuing to pack at her furious pace. She was worried that she'd forget something. She stood back for a moment, hands on her hips, thinking of anything else she needed to bring.

                "Yeah, it's what Ah've always wanted ta do since Ah was little. Ah can't wait ta see the mountains. Never seen much snow. Oh!"

                Rogue suddenly remembered what she was missing. Striding over to her bed, she reached under and pulled out a worn out looking teddy bear, with a ribbon tied around its neck. She crammed it into one corner of her suitcase, shooting Remy a look that dared him to comment on it.

                Remy chuckled softly, but didn't say anything. He knew better than to test her temper. 

                "Remy sho' dey have some nice romantic restaurants out dere, p'tite... Maybe we go ta some of dose. De nice fancy ones, prob'ly plenty in de Big Apple." 

                He stood and walked over to her, then his arms encircled her from behind and he pulled her to him. 

                "Ahh, chere, dis'll be some wondahful times, non? Almos' like a big vacation jus' fo' yo' an' Remy... None of dose othah nosey kids ta not mind deir own business." He sighed a bit and gave her a little hug. "An' dey prob'ly give us nice hotel rooms too... suites, wit' de big beds, an' big bathtubs, an' big screen TVs. Good times."

                Rogue grinned and leaned back into him. He sure painted a pretty picture. But her doubts, and the Professor's warnings to her before, still made her feel a little apprehensive.

                "Ah'm worried, though. Ah'm sure there'll be a lot of people around the country who don't care ta have us."

                There she went again, trying to find fault with everything. They'd be traveling with a presidential candidate, no doubt they'd have all kinds of security. Why couldn't she just take it for granted?

                "But Ah'm sure it'll be fun. Especially after bein' cooped up so long."


	41. Chapter 39: Catching Some Rayes

                Chapter 39: Catching Some Rayes

                Remy leaned against the railing of his balcony, wearing some sandals, denim shorts, and a wife beater, as well as a pair of sunglasses and a bandana keeping his hair back. It was quite warm in L.A. right now. He felt lucky, his suite had a balcony, but Rogue's didn't. She'd got stuck on the inside of the hotel. Tough luck for her. The rooms were quite plush anyway, but still, it was nice to have a place where he might be able to work on his tan or something.

                There was a knock on Remy's door. Rogue stood in the hallway, fidgeting. She was slightly annoyed with the fact that Remy got a balcony and she didn't. Who was planning these things anyway? Unfair treatment, it was. She was wearing shorts - the California sun demanded it - and a long sleeved button up shirt, with thin black cotton gloves. She smiled when he opened the door, glancing past him.

                "Workin' on ya tan?"

                Remy chuckled and backed away from the door to let her in. 

                "Naw, least not yet, chere. Remy jus' enjoyin de view. Why yo' askin, jealous?" He grinned. "Yo' know, since yo' didn' get no balcony, yo' can come ovah ta enjoy de sun wit' Remy. He wouldn' mind de company."

                Rogue grinned. That was easy. She walked past him, admiring his room. While the layout was different, it had all the same furniture and features, except the balcony, of course. Walking out onto the balcony, Rogue leaned one elbow on the railing and cupped her chin in her hand, looking down on the beach-going people below. There were children playing, people swimming, women sunbathing, each one of them taking for granted the amount of skin they were free to expose. If looking fat in a bikini was her biggest problem, she'd take it.

                Remy closed the door and shook his head. She had become quite easy to predict. Still, he smiled and walked out with her and pulled one of the chairs over from the side so he could sit and prop his feet up on the rail. 

                "Remy been waitin ta see yo' in one of dem skimpy bathin' suits anyway." He grinned and folded his hands behind his head. "So yo' can go ahead an' change, hm?"

                Rogue looked over her shoulder to give him a warning, but amused look. Still, she couldn't deny that she wanted to. Just to sit in the sun, feel the warmth, and forget about everything. Besides, it'd be a good tease, put Remy in his place. Straightening, she crossed over to a lounge and smirked.

                "Fine."

                Rogue turned her side to him, looking pointedly out at the ocean as if ignoring his presence. Nonchalantly, she unbuttoned her shirt and slipped it off. Next her shorts, and then she sat down and lay back to soak up the rays. Given their vacationing time, she had decided to indulge in a new bathing suit. It was a two piece, dark green with black straps for the top, around her neck and back. It was simple enough, but the amount of exposed skin still made her heart beat a little faster.

                "Just be careful."

                Remy sat up slightly and even pushed his sunglasses up. He stared at her for a moment, then grinned again and gave a low whistle. 

                "Damn chere! Yo' could put mos' of dose women ta shame!" He chuckled and leaned back, letting his sunglasses fall again. "Remy gonna have ta tie his hands tagether. He wouldn' wan' ta have ta intarupt de tour 'cause he couldn' control hisself."

                Rogue smiled faintly at his comment, but it faded just as quickly. It wasn't like she had anything to worry about from him, or anyone with wandering hands. One touch and they could consider themselves down for the count. Still, it was just another reminder that, as potentially enjoyable the interruption might be, it could never happen.

                "Do ya think security will let us leave the hotel? As nice as it is, it'd be nicer to see some of the sights, too."

                Remy shrugged and let his eyes close, just letting the sun bake him. 

                "Maybe... 'Course, dey don' always have ta know, p'tite." He snuck a glance over at her for a moment. "Dere's othah ways outta de hotel. Prob'ly ain' dat hahd ta sneak out."

                Rogue looked over at him, catching his gaze, and smirked. Then she turned her head away again, slipping a pair of sunglasses over her eyes. Professor Xavier's warnings were completely forgotten now. 

                "Ya becomin' a bad influence on me." She didn't seem to mind, and she grinned. "Where do ya wanna go?"

                "Los Angeles s'posed ta have some of de bes' clubs fo' dancing, yo' know... Remy sho' dat wit' all de publicity we could get in any of dem wit'out havin' ta wait in de line." 

                He chuckled nodded a bit to himself. They'd all ready put in the appearance with Mr. Mann at the press conference, and several people had recognized him when he'd gone to get ice. It was slightly strange, but he thought that plenty of people must have all ready seen them, so it should be a snap.

                Rogue thought about it. Going out to dance would be fun, but it was always something she'd avoided. Getting lost in a crowd of people rubbing up against each other was an inevitability, but with enough covering.. She figured it wouldn't be so bad. 

                "That sounds like a good time." She smirked again. "What time should Ah pick ya up?"


End file.
